22 

 HON. LIBRARIAN'S REPORT. 



The Loan List of the Library shows that 131 books have been borrowed during the year; five of 

 these continue on loan on October 1st. 



There spems to be a gradual increase in the upe of books for reference by tho^e interested in 

 dcientific pursuits, and it is hoped, as the membprs and public generally become moie acquainted with 

 our splendid Library, it will become of even greater practical use. 



The followirsr gifts to the Library are acknowledged, with the best thanks of the Society to the 

 donors:— '■ The Entomologist/' from Miss Ringsford ; "Nature." from Brian Rigden, Esq.; "The 

 Photogram," from S. W. Harvey. E-q. ; ' Amateur Photographer," from the publishers. Besides these 

 periodicals we have received "The Camera in the Fields," from the author, Mr. F. C. Snell. 



Pamphlets, reports, etc, have been received, in exchange for ours, from the following societies: — 

 SmithEonian Institution, U.S.A , Wisconsin Geological and Natural Hi-tory Society. Missouri Botanical 

 Garden. Nutional Museum of Buenos Ayres, Inptitute of Geology, Mexico, Field Columbian Museum, 

 U S.A., Milwaukee Museum, U.S A., Carnegie Museum, British Association, Croydon Natural History 

 Society, City of London College Natural Science Society, Hastings and St. Leonard's Natural History 

 Society, South London Natural History Society, Ealing Natural History Society, Homesdale Natural 

 History Society, Royal Microscopic Society, Rochester Natural History Society, Wellington College 

 Science Society, and Manchester Microscopical Society. 



From the societies with which we are affiliated we have received publications. The societies are 

 the Ray Society, Quekett Microscopical Club, and the Royal Pdotoi^raphic Society. 



The serial works purchased by the Society are as follows :— " The Journal of Botany," " Geological 

 Magazine." ** Zoologist," and " Knowledge." 



C. BUCKINGHAM, Hon. Librarian. 



BOTANICAL NOTES FOR 1905. 



A " dripping June " cut short several excursions, consequently there are not many fresh finds to 

 record. A very interesting hybrid orchis was, however, discovered in a wood near Wye by Messrs. 

 Walker and Harris, of Canterbury, evidently the progeny of Ophrys mitsci/era x Ophrys apifera, or 

 the spider and the fly ! 7he ttowtring stem was brought to me, and I was pleaeed to find that the 

 root bad not been disturbed. I was able to take several good negatives of it, prints from which have 

 been reproduced in the Orchid Revieio by Mr. Rolfe, of Kew, who gives an account of similar finds on 

 the Continent {see Block and Page 23). The following is a brief description of it: — 



Habit of growth, that of Mnsdfcra, stem slender, a foot or more high, with five flowers on it. 



Sepals resembling those of Mnscifera, the lateral ones rather broader at the base. 



Petals: the lower. or labellum, consisted of two large lubes with a small one between them, but it 

 was altogf^tber larger and broader than that of the Fly. The markings resemble those of the Early 

 Spider. The two upper petals were like those of the Spider, hut not indented or serrated, and nearly 

 the same width for their whole length. They did not resemble antenna- as in the Fly. 



The anther had no beak but resembled that of the fly. 



Anther cells as in the fly. 



Stigma as in the Early Spider, 



The Lizard Orchis is still alive near Wye, but did not flower last summer. 



The Frog Orchis is very rare now in Kent ; several botanists have not been able to find a single 

 specimen after hunting for it for several seasons. 



P oly gala Austria ca'i^ not so rare on the chalk of Kent as it was thought to be ; it has been 

 recorded from seven or eight stations ; being an inconspicuous plant it has been overlooked. In the 

 spring, Mr. Cryer, a Yorkshire botanist, came to study the plant in Kent ; he concluded that it was 

 not the same as the Yorkshire form, which is know as P. amarella Crantz. 



A visit to the big ponds on Dungeness Beach in the spring proved to us that the rare plants 

 which grow there are as flourishing as ever, Comarium palustre, Lastrcea thelypteris, Menyanthes 

 trifoliata, several scarce sedges, Siletie nutans, now separated trom the Dover plant, and Teesdali 

 nudicaulis, were all very plentiful. 



In June Mr. Clarke, of Audover, Hants, kindly sent me specimens of the Hampshire Orchis 

 incarnata, these had rose or flesh coloured flowers, quite different from our Kentish Incarnata, which 

 has purple flowers. 



W. H. HAMMOND. 



