HOLMESDALE XATL'HAL HISTORY CLUB. 13 



leaving the intermediate margin of tlie tent free in one part only, 

 from which the constructor issues by raising the side : this tent is 

 silk, lined below, and is of a substantial texture, capable of resisting 

 both wind and rain. 



Mr. J. Liunell also exhibited a collection of British spiders, among 

 them Chelifer cancroides and Leptus autumnalis (the Harvest Bug) ; 

 and the Secretary exhibited some African species and a nest of 

 Cteniza Barrowii, Walk., an African trap-door spider. 



Qth April, 1875. — Subject, " Botany." The Secretary placed on 

 the table a collection of plants, with a view of illustrating some 

 observations on botanical classification. He contended that the 

 conclusions too often arrived at by nomenclators with respect to 

 species and varieties were arbitrary and without foundation, observing 

 that the original forms of vegetable hfe are unknown, and that it is 

 impossible to determine which are species and which varieties. In 

 support he exhibited a series of Haworthias, recognised as species by 

 botanists, that graduated into each other so insensibly that some who 

 were present thought them alike : this graduation existed in the 

 markings, form and habit— which last varied from a horizontal 

 arrangement of the leaves to a perfectly erect one. He then com- 

 pared the above series with another raised by himself from one seed- 

 pod of H. pcqnllosa; nearly all the latter ditiered from each other, 

 some remarkably so, from the parent species: forms known as 

 II. subulata, H. riujosa and H. margaritifera were present ; one 

 resembled, in some respects, three named species, viz. H. Reimmrdii, 

 H.fasciata and H. clariperla, whilst another was unhke any known 

 species, and would, if found wild, have doubtless received a specific 

 name. He stated that the species above mentioned, to which these 

 seedlings approximated, were among the most distinct in the group 

 Haicorthia, and exhibited series of other plants to show that he did 

 not confine his observations to any special class. 



Mr. Green also showed a choice collection of rare and curious 

 plants from different parts of the world. 



