I'ilOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIEa. 253 



whole chapter on albuminoid substances. Again, the biological phrase- 

 ology is not sufficiently elastic ; this we should perhaps expect, the 

 wonder being rather that the author has come off so well, considering 

 that he has had to treat of an alien science ; we can scarcely, however, 

 on this ground excuse the above-mentioned absence of any notice of 

 the genetic history of ferments. For our part we believe that they 

 are modified mycelium of mucorineous or similar origin, and that the 

 endospores of yeast are homologues of the "chlamydospores" of Van 

 Tieghcm ; the same thing may possibly be said for Lankester's 

 '* macroplasts," thus drawing close the tie between Saccharomyces and 

 Bacterium. 



3^roccctiing^ of d^ocicttCj3f» 



LiNNEAif Society, May Ath. — G. Bentham, F.R.S., Vice-President, 

 in the chair. — Dr. Trimen exhibited a photograph of a remarkable 

 example of fasciated inflorescence occurring in Fourcroya cubensis, 

 Haw., which had come under the observation of Dr. Ernst, of Caracas, 

 Venezuela. The specimen is 6^ feet high and 4 feet wide (see p. 180). — 

 Mr. Buxton Shillitoe exhibited a curious parasitic fungoid growth on a 

 fresh specimen of Beetle larva from Australia. The nature of the 

 former was discussed, opinions being divided as to its identity. — Some 

 portions of Grass taken from the stomach of the Dolphin of the Ganges, 

 Platanista gangetica, were exhibited in behalf of Dr. J. Anderson. These 

 had been identified by Mr. S. Kurz, of the Royal Botanic Gardens 

 of Calcutta, as Isclmmum rugosum and Paspalum scrohiculatum, the 

 latter commonly known as " Kudoo " in India. During the heavy 

 rains, when the river overfloods the paddy fields, many of the fish fre- 

 quent the latter, and they doubtless, having partaken of the plants in 

 question, and being afterwards devoured by the Dolphins, the Grass 

 had finally become the residual digesta of the latter. — "On the genus 

 Hoodia, with the diagnosis of a new species," by W. Thiselton Dyer. 

 Three species are described — H. Gordoni, H. Currori, and H. Barklyi. 

 The corona is described as double, the two whorls alternating, the 

 author diff'ering in this view from Mr. Bentham, who has recently 

 examined the Asclepiads, and who considers the two sets to be con- 

 nected. Mr. Bentham stated that he looked upon the coronse in this 

 family as mere excrescences, and not real organs, and that their number, 

 which might be one, two, three, or variously complicated, possessed 

 little significance. — " Report on the Fungi collected in Kerguelen 

 Island during the stay of the Transit of Venus Expedition, 1874-5," 

 by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley.* Fungi appear to be present in small 

 numbers compared with other groups of Cryptogams. 



June \st. — J. G. Allman, Esq., President, in the chair. — Mr. Bull 

 ■exhibited living plants of the Liberian Coffee, both grown from seed by 

 him, and imported direct from Africa. Mr. J. R. Jackson showed a series 

 of photographs of Coffee plantations and the Calcutta Botanic Gardens. 

 — The following papers were read : " On Floral ^Estivations," by the 



• Agaricus Ke guelensis, n.sp., is described at p. 51 of this Journal. 



