77/6? Tissues of Plants. 29 



The following were the exhibitions : — 



A good selection of Flint Implements, illustrative of the " Stone Period," 

 consistinjT of " livres de beurre," knives, hatchets, flakes, trivets, 

 etc., from the Danish Kjokken-moddings, St. Acheul, Pressigny, 

 Thctford, etc. These were presented to the exhibitor by J. 

 Flower, Esq., F.G.S., etc. 



Specimens of Leaves and Flowers, beautifully macerated to show their 

 structure . . . . . . . . By the Prksident. 



A large Topaz, found by the exhibitor . . . . By T. Smith. 



Felspar, China-clay (decomposed Felspar), and specimens showing the 

 intermediate stages of decomposition .. By W. J. Bull, Esq. 



An ancient Pistol and liayonet from the fire at the Tower of London. 



A Guinea of the reign of James I., and various interesting coins. 



By W. Jektll. 



Fragments of a Shell, picked up on the Field of Diippel. 



By A. J. Evans. 



Bronze Implement, dug up at Lewes in Sussex . . By T. G. Roopeh. 



The Hon. F. A. Rus.sell, and E. S. Prior were elected members 

 of the Society. 



The following Paper on the " Tissues of Plants" was then read 

 by C. B. Hebekden: — 



THE TISSUES OF PLANTS. 



All plants, from the tallest tree to the tiniest weed, are made up 

 of cells — cells, however, which for the most part cannot be seen by 

 the naked eye. For instance, if we hold up any moderately large 

 leaf to the light, we shall see nothing but the green pulp, of which 

 the leaf is composed, and veins, which either branch out in 

 numerous little fibres, forming a sort of network, or else are 

 straight and unbranched. But it is only by the aid of the micro- 

 scope that we can see the cells of which I am going to speak. 

 These cells are little bags, containing fluid. They consist, first, of 

 the cell-wall inside which the fluid is contained ; next to this a 

 very thin film, which forms a lining to the cell, and which has been 

 called the primordial utricle. The middle of the cell is filled with 

 a half solid mass, usually of a globular form, called the nucleus, 

 and between this and the primordial utricle a liquid, of the 

 chemical properties of which I shall afterwards speak. Now, how 

 did these cells originate } were they originally a mass perforated 

 with little holes, or were they rather a number of little bladders, 



