90 PKOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



The only other paper in this part is by Dr. Sadebcck on Fj/thium 

 Equisdi; but as it has hitely been attempted to connect this Fungus 

 with the oospores of Peronospora infestans, it may be as well to pass 

 this over until we know something more on the subject. 



W. B. Hemsley. 



procccliingsf of i§»ocicticsf. 



LiNNEAN Society. JVov. Srd.—\875, Dr. G. J. AUman, F.R S , 

 President, in the chair. The following botanical communications 

 were read : — " On the rate of growth of the female Hower-stalk of 

 Vallisnerta spiralia,'''' by A. W. Bennett. The peduncle is remarkable 

 for the great rapidity of its growth*, and ultimately reaches a length 

 of three or four feet. The author's observations were chiefly directed 

 to determine which part of the peduncle showed the greatest energy 

 of growth. This was found to be in a poi'tion at but a short distance 

 below the flower-bud, a marked zone of two inches increasing ulti- 

 mately relatively to the remainder of the flower-stalk in about the 

 proportion of three to two. This is more in accordance with what has 

 been observed in the case of roots than in that of stems. The coiling- 

 up of the peduncle so as to bring the flower beneath the surface does 

 not take place if the flower has not been impregnated. — " On plants 

 collected by Lieutenant Cameron about Lake Tanganyika," by D. 

 Oliver. — " On a collection of North Celebes plants sent by M. Riedel," 

 by D. Oliver. 



Dec. 2nd, 1875.— Dr. G. J. Allman, F.R.S., President, in the 

 chair. Mr. J. G. Baker exhibited specimens of Pyrus communis, var. 

 Briggsii, D. 8yme, and made some observations on its characters and 

 distribution.! The following papers were read: — "On Polynesian 

 Ferns of the Challenger Expedition," by J. G. Baker. The new species 

 amounted to ten or twelve closely allied to ones ali'cady known, and 

 no new genus. — " Revision of Anthericece and Eriospermeic,''^ by J. G. 

 Baker. This paper is uniform in plan with those upon other tribes of 

 LiUacecc-hj th.0 same author that have, already been printed in the 

 Society's Journal, and is the fifth of a set of eight monographs, in 

 which the whole Order will be dealt with. Those still to appear relate 

 to the tribes Alliece, Aloincce, Yuccoidecc, and to the series Colchicacece, 

 and the small aberrant tribes, such as Conanthcrcc and Gilliesiece. 

 Eriospermc(C is a small tribe, marked by its racemed inflorescence, 

 polyphyllous periant«!a, woolly seeds, and large tuber-like corms. It 

 includes one genus only, long known at the Cape, and now ascertained 

 to extend its range to Abyssinia, Zambesi-land, and Angola. 



* See Journ. Bot. 1875, pp. 276, 337. 



t On this plant sec an iuiicle in the *' Gardeners' Chronicle," 1875, ii., p. G85. 



