scrutiny ; it is curious tliat in each case the Cytisus blossom was 

 the last, by several years, to appear ; one thing appears proven at 

 all events, namely, the very close affinity of these several plants to 

 each other. After a brief lecture from the President on seeds, and 

 the essential differences 'twixt the seeds of flowering and the spores 

 of non-flowering plants— the chief distractions being, that the 

 former possess an embryo ready formed, the latter being formed at 

 the time of germination — the meeting broke up. 



Letters addressed to the President were read, among others from 

 Sir Eoderick MuRcnisoN, also from Professor Sedgwick and 

 Mr. Lewis, expressive of their regrets at being nnable to attend. 

 The former venerable geologist, alluding to his early associations 

 with the locality, and to a recent visit to it with Professor Eamsat, 

 added, " I assure you that I never can visit that wonderful scene 

 too often, and that I infinitely regret being prevented doing so on 

 this occasion." 



The second meeting, on July 21st, was at Ludlow ; "Jupiter was 

 not propitious " — the early part of the day was wet, yet we mustered 

 well, and 22 sat down to dinner. The first rendezvous was Forge 

 Bridge, the entrance on the Do^vnton SUurian district ; here the 

 fine-grained compact Downton Limestone (a capital building stone) 

 exhibits the topmost member of the Silurian system, and therefore 

 the deposit immediately inferior to the " Old Eed." Col. Colvin 

 acted as our guide, and conveyed a cordial invitation from Mb. 

 Tarratt, to lunch at the Castle, which the Club accepted, though 

 they had to regret the unavoidable absence of I^Ir. Tarratt. 



The geology of the day is recorded in another place. Among 

 the plants bagged by botanists were Polypodium pryopteris, and 

 Aspidium filix foemin : Cystopteris fragilis, Cetarach officinariim, and 

 many more common ferns ; the TiifoL arvense, Campanula tracheUum, 

 Fedia Carinata, were among the Phanarogamous plants. We dined 

 at Ludlow, after which Mr. Ballard exhibited specimens of wood 

 (of the oak and poplar) illustrating the different results of artificial 

 and natural pruning ; he remarked that long and careful observation 



