19 
part of the latter. After floating about in the cell for a short 
time, it made its escape in the usual way through the natural 
orifice. The mother never recovered, but died in the cell about 
half-an-hour afterwards. 
The fact of the parent dying might at first sight seem to lead 
to the conclusion that this was not a true act of viviparousness, 
but I have, as I have said above, witnessed several similar cases, 
but not attended with the same ‘fatal results to the parent, except 
on one occasion, viz., on 5th December, 1883, when I found that a 
Stephanoceros I had put in the trough for exhibition at a meeting 
of E.K.N.H.S. had two live young ones inside of her. I exhibited 
her the same evening; the mother remained alive until the next 
evening, when another ovum incubated internally, and then she 
died. I took her out of the trough and placed her on a dissecting 
plate, opened her, and then the young ones floated out alive and 
healthy. I was unsuccessful in trying to transfer them toa trough. 
Nore.—This act of backing out of its cell is very suggestive 
of its vermiform characteristics, more especially when we take into 
consideration the close affinity that exists between the Rotifera 
and the Annelida, more especially in connection with Loven’s larva. 
N. 
POPULAR NAMES OF BRITISH PLANTS, 
BY 
MR. G. H. NELSON, M.A., F.G.S. 
Read JuLy 4, 1883. 
The study of the popular names of plants is of wide philolo- 
gical and historical interest, opening up a prospect into the history 
of man’s progress towards civilization, and revealing much know- 
ledge of his character and life before the period of written history. 
The popular names of British Plants are in-the main of learned 
origin. They can be called popular only in the sense that they are 
used now in common speech and have ceased to be the Technical or 
Scientific terms. A large number of names indicate either the use 
to which they were put by man, or the services, real or imaginary, 
which they rendered to animals and birds. The doctrine of Signa- 
tures is responsible for another large class. It was believed that the 
various parts of a plant were so formed by the Creator that men 
might see at a glance what human ailment they would heal. This 
was the Szyn«iwre of the plant. Some names are merely descrip- 
