42 



liaear piiiuatifid with, broadly membranous -n-iuged stalks, 

 resembliuo- tliat of Daucus Cavota. The leaves are rather fleshy, 

 digitate, clasping the stem which is furrowed and smooth (not 

 hispid) umbel convex ; plant, about three or four feet in height. 

 Mr. Dowker had sent a specimen of the plant for identification 

 to Mr. F. Hambury, who is about to publish a flora of the coun- 

 ty, but has not received his reply. 



Mr. FuUagar brought for inspection a beautiful fresh water 

 polyzoa which he had received from Croydon, found in that 

 neighbourhood, the species of which the sender was not able to 

 make out with certainty. — At first sight it was thought to be 

 Alcyonella f ungosa, but on further examination, and by refer- 

 ring to Professor Allman's monograph of the fresh water polyzoa, 

 it proved to bo Plumatella eoralloides, it was very transparent, 

 and that singular motion of various shaped bodies rotating with- 

 in the perigastric space, was plainly seen ; also the formation of 

 statoblasts in various stages of growth, and some buds in fonna- 

 tion, which is one way by which the animals are multiplied as 

 well as by statoblasts. 



Oetoler 4th, 1877. 



Pi'olification of Scabiom.—'M.v. Sidney Harvey made some re- 

 marks upon the phenomenon of prolification as exhibited in two 

 plants of Scabiosa Succisa, or Devil's bit, foimd by liim in the 

 neighbourhood of Canterbury. These plants, which were grow- 

 ing close together, and were nearly four feet in height, resem- 

 bled Umbeliifers as regards their inflorescence, the florets in 

 many instances having developed into stalks 1^ to 2 inches in 

 length, and bearing an ordinary capitulum in full flower at the 

 summit of each. Hardly a flower-head in either plant had 

 escaped this development to any extent, and the appearance was 

 very remarkable. 



Mr. Fallagar on Spo^ige Fluviatilis. — Some young living fresh- 

 water sponge, in various stages of growth, was exhibited by Mr. 

 Fullagar, and illustrated by drawings ; specimens of the common 

 spicular mounted for the microscope, and also the curiously- 

 formed sheltered spicula of the ovaria, which he had very suc- 

 cessfully mounted in dammar, on which he made the remarks 

 reported below : — 



British Fresh-tcater Sponge. — In December last year, and 

 January of this year, I exhibited some living fresh-water sponge 

 from the river at Littlebourne, a small piece of which I had 

 placed in a cell for observation, and the growth of new sponge 

 was observed spreading on the glass, there were also a number 

 of the ovaries in it ; ultimately the sponge died and the ovaries 



