44 



to contain a small cavitj' iu the centre, whilst others seemed to have 

 a slightly harder woody core : he thought the one exhibited would be 

 found to be solid. 



The President suggested that a section should be made of the 

 specimen, with a view of ascertaining its probable formation, and 

 whether the lumps were originally caused by the work of an insect. 

 He stated that small hardened lumps similar to the present were not 

 uncommon on the trunks of some trees, although he had hitherto not 

 observed them on the cedar. 



Mr. Green read a hst of seventy species of plants which he had 

 observed in flower in the open air on Christmas-day last, showing 

 the very mDd temperature that existed up to that date ; many of 

 them were common British species, but a considerable number of 

 them were semi tropical plants. 



The President drew the attention of the Meeting to the rainfall 

 during the year 1806, which amounted to 36.14 inches at Reigate : 

 this is the greatest fall he has registered during nine years, in which 

 period the least amount fallen in any year was in 1858, when 19.66 

 inches fell, and the gl-eatest, except 1866, was in 1860, when 35.76 

 inches fell : thus it wiU be seen that the fall of 1866 is about half 

 an inch more than has been before noted, and nearly double the 

 quantity of that in 1858. 



The severe cold which has just been experienced, with the heavy 

 fall of snow, came under discussion, when it was stated by the 

 President that he estimated the lowest point of the thermometer, on 

 the level of his house, about 450 feet above the level of the sea, was 

 19° Fahrenheit ; at a lower level, the fall being about fifty feet, the 

 temperature was 8° Fahrenheit ; stiU lower, where there would be a 

 difference of level of about 100 feet, the thermometer went some few 

 degrees lower. He has reason to beheve that on the level of the 

 railway the cold was near upon zero. The effect of these various 

 degrees of cold upon vegetation he stated he would, at a futui'e 

 Meeting, bring before the notice of the Members. The effect of snow 

 as a preservative of vegetation has been most marked during the 

 recent heavy fall, it being shown by the President that many plants, 

 some of rather a tender description, had remained uninjured beneath 



