113 



following orders, made by residents in Brighton, Hove, and 

 Preston : — Ranunculaceae, Papaveracepe, Cruciferae, Violace?e>^ 

 Polygalacere, and Caryophyllacese. 



April 12th. 



ORDINARY MEETING.— DR. CORFE ON THE STRUC- 

 TURE AND DINETICAL CURRENTS OF SPONGE- 

 LETS AND FIBRILS OF ROOTS. 



The object of his communication to the Society was to give 

 publicity to a series of microscopical appearances on the structure 

 and dinetical currents of spongelets and fibrils of roots, which, 

 whilst they confirm the researches of eminent phytologists on 

 cyclosis in leaves, stems, and hairs, appear to have escaped 

 attention in this field of life-germs. 



If it is asked, " AVhat inscrutable power presides over the 

 intricate machinery of vegetable and animal life, of elaboration,, 

 digestion, and assimilation, whether it be in the tiny weed we 

 tread upon or the colossal form of an elephant ? " we reply 

 imhesitatinglj', electrical force — a force which man has recently 

 enlisted in his service and has so utilised that he conveys his 

 thoughts in a few seconds to his felloAv-men through a space as wide 

 apart as the Arctic and Antarctic seas. He would remind them 

 that the surface of the globe and the bowels of the earth afford 

 two mighty currents of this force ; the one is moving from us on 

 the eastern side and is at right angles to the magnetic meridian, 

 or parallel to the equator, and corresponds to the negative pole of 

 an electro-magnetic battery ; the other, on the Western side, is 

 moving tovanU us, and answers to the positive pole, and is 

 parallel to the straight line which joins the poles. Every 

 substance above, upon, and below the earth's surface contributes 

 its quota to these currents, some so highly that they arc styled 

 "Paramagnetic," by Farady; others, being feeble, he called 

 " Diamagnetic," and thus the bosom of our globe is one stupendous 



