Proceedings of the 



cells, which only present themselves to our view as transparent empty cells, 

 may answer the same purpose. Be this as it may, the absorption of water 

 by leaves is abundantly proved by the refreshing influence of a summer 

 shower on drooping plants, and by the efEect of syringing the withering 

 leaves of hothouse plants. The same thing is proved conversely by the fact 

 that many plants will not live in the dry air of our sitting-rooms, and by 

 the beneficial effects of placing moist tearleaves around their stems. 



The chemical relations of water to plants are no less numerous or important 

 than the physical or vital ones of which we have spoken. It is a constituent 

 of lignin, starch, sugar, and gum, or in other words these consist solely of 

 carbon and water, or oxygen and hydrogen in the proportions to form 

 water. Some bodies, as oil, contain more hydrogen, and others more 

 oxygen than water, but all these are formed by the decomposition of water, 

 and the fixing of its elements in such proportions as they are required. 

 The coldness of the night reminds me that I ought to speak of the influence 

 of frost on the tissues of plants, as this is one of the conditions in which 

 water acts upon them ; but I must confess that I am not sufficiently con- 

 versant with the subject to enter upon it. I have also omitted all allusion 

 to water plants, as I did not intend to include them in my paper. Whether 

 we look at the marvellous way in which a constant supply of food materials 

 is brought to the immovable roots of plants; to the endless mutations to 

 which that food is subjected in the economy of the plant ; or to the extent 

 to which the simple element of water is employed in all these wonderful 

 operations, we must feel a deep interest in the subject, and an intense 

 admiration of the infinite wisdom and power by which the wliole has been 

 designed and perfected. 



Dr. Bossey exhibited various objects under the microscope in illustration 

 of points alluded to in the foregoing paper. 



Mr. J. B. Crosfield read the following paper, entitled "Notes on Ornith- 

 ology," dealing with occurrences noted in the course of the past year : — 



During the past year but few facts of special interest relating to birds 

 have come under my notice, and I must therefore be pardoned if any of 

 those I mention may appear trivial or unimportant. I entered in the 

 Kecord-book belonging to the Club the dates on which I first observed the 

 various summer birds of passage ; I need therefore only say in regard to 

 them that the more than usually severe weather which prevailed at the end 

 of March and beginning of April probably retarded the arrival of many 

 species, most being behind their usual dates. This, however, did not seem 

 to interfere with nidification, as I observed a martin building on 3Iay 5th ; 

 found a sedge warbler's nest containing one e%^ on May 7th, near Rain- 

 ham, Essex ; and a turtle dove's with one ^%^ on May 14th, in the New 

 Forest. Of the winter migrants I was surprised to see four redwings as 

 early as October 6th, which was a warm, summer-like day. At that time 

 martins were still to be seen in abundance, and continued plentiful till 

 October 13th, after which I saw no more, excepting three which were play- 

 ing about for a long time on November Sri It is very unusual for the 



