28 
Mr. Goodchild laid on the table a series of coloured plates 
of the various species of birds of which he had spoken. 
Friday, February 12th. Mr. A. Clement Cooke in the chair. 
Mrs. Park exhibited a hollow crystal of Chalcedony containing 
liquid, and known as a Water Stone, from Peru. 
Mr. Geo. P. Wight exhibited a smaller specimen, and a frag- 
ment showing internal markings. 
Mr. Hugh Findon, F.L.S., exhibited Miocene Mullusca from 
various parts of France. 
Mr. James Burton exhibited under his microscope a section 
of Marram Grass (Psamma arenaria) from the sea shore, Isle of 
Man, showing Xerophilous structure. 
Mr. C, S. Nicholson, F.L.S., a former member, read a paper 
on ‘‘The Xerophilous Flora of Southern Spain.” Spain 
might be divided into three tracts, the third of which, comprising 
the southern provinces, sloped from the central tableland to sea 
level. Here from April to September was uninterrupted drought : 
the annual rainfall being below fifteen inches. Vegetable growth 
was necessarily crowded into a very short period, nevertheless 
an extensive flora existed. Eleven hundred species were found 
in this division of which one half were annuals. Mr. Nicholson 
found but seven common British plants. On his arrival at Aguilas 
there were no turf and no trees save a few palms and eucalyptus. 
Soon afterwards there was a heavy rainfall for one day, when an 
exuberant growth appeared, completely changing the appearance 
of the country. The plants, however, were characteristically 
modified for a desert habitat. 
The plants collected during his visit were exhibited to the 
membets. 
Friday, March rath. Mr. G. E. Jones in the chair. 
Mr. A. D. Darbishire, M.A., gave a discourse on Mendelism, 
illustrated by diagrams on the black-board and cases of specimens 
of garden peas. 
Having recounted the results obtained by Mendel in crossing 
certain varieties of peas, published by him in 1865, Mr. Darbi- 
shire proceeded to describe the results obtained by various persons 
after the republications of Mendel’s paper in Igor. 
Experiments had been made not only with peas but with 
other plants, and also with mice, snails and fowls. 
The results of these experiments all confirmed Mendel’s observa- 
tions, and the theory deducible from them might be stated thus :— 
