Proceedings. 29 
blades are turned towards the light. Their position serves 
to scatter the rain towards the spreading roots. 
A primrose when growing in the shade has larger leaves than 
when grown in an open place. Many leaves are lobed and cut 
so as to allow the light to shine through to the lower leaves. 
Ivy is an example of this. The leaf of Monsteria, a climber of 
tropical America, has holes through it for a like purpose. 
Almost every leaf is pretty constantly in motion, but the 
motion is very slow. It is only during daylight that leaves 
can feed. Mimosa pudica folds itself up to sleep. Coronilla- 
leaves stand upright to prevent excessive radiation. 
In the springtime the green colouring-matter of the young 
leaves is not so fully protected as it is later on, and consequently 
the young leaves droop so as to keep in heat and check radiation. 
Leaves consist of veins, cellular tissue, and epidermis or 
skin. In the lower skin are air-openings or stomata. The 
cells contain green colouring-matter or chlorophyll, which is 
injured by too strong a light. The pale glaucous bloom on 
Acacias and many other tropical plants is due to a waxy exu- 
dation which protects the chlorophyll from the light. 
Eucalyptus when young has large, horizontal, opposite, glau-. 
cous leaves anda square stem; when older it has a round stem, 
and alternate, drooping leaves, free from glaucous powder. 
The red tint of many young leaves in the tropics serves to 
protect the chlorophyll. Autumnal tints are probably due 
to most of the chlorophyll grains being dissolved out of the 
protoplasm and carried away. 
Mr. Brown exhibited several diagrams and leaves in illus- 
tration of his lecture. 
Muertine, held at Redhill, 20th of November, 1896. 
Mr. Francis M. Duncan read a paper on 
Hymenoptera, on Ants, Bes, anp Wasps. 
Mr. Duncan remarked that proof of the early cultivation of 
bees was to be found in the book of Job, the Vedas, the Egyptian 
