EAST KENT NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 317 



her nest, or rather silk-like cocoon of eggs, were shown in one of 

 Mr. Fullagar s vases ; and the manner in which this insect forms 

 the cocoon, for the protection of the eggs, was explained by him 

 with the aid of illustrative dx'awings. 



RapJddes of Dicti/ogens. — Mr. Gulliver gave extemporaneous 

 demonstrations of these in fresh plants of Paris and Tamus, and 

 remarked that in the British flora all the plants ol' this section 

 are sharply defined by the raphidian character from the imme- 

 diately preceding and succeeding orders of the so-called natural 

 system ; but further observations are required on exotic Dictyo- 

 gens. He had found raphides abounding in Lapagerla, Testudi- 

 naria, Sarza and Dioscorea, but replaced in Roxbimjia by crystal 

 prisms (' Quart. Journ. Micr. Sci.,' January, 18(36, and July, 

 1869). DitFerent tubers are sold at Covent Garden as "yams ;" 

 these are beautifully distinguishable by the raphides in one kind, 

 which is a Dioscorea, from another kind which has no raphides, 

 and is a member of the order Convolvulacese. Now, the Tarns have 

 been shown to possess, in some important points of structure, a 

 resemblance to the Birthworts ; but if we compare the abundance 

 of raphides in Dioscorea and Tamus with the total absence of 

 these crystals in Aristolochia, we shall immediately see a remark- 

 able difference not yet noticed in the books of systematic botany. 



Mai/ 11th, 1872. — Well-horing at Sturry. — Colonel Cox read a 

 paper showing that at a depth of from 15 to 19 feet they came 

 to the blue clay, which continued down to 40 feet ; and at from 

 46 to 50 feet a water spring was struck. 



the Plague of Ticks. — Colonel Cox, referring to the proceed- 

 ings on this subject on May 2, read an elaborate paper concern- 

 ing the Ticks, now so fearfully injurious to the flocks of sheep 

 and the young pheasants of the neighbourhood. By the Eev. 

 H. G. W. Aubrey and the Editors of ' Land and Water,' the 

 Tick was pronounced to be Ixodes Dugesii. The Colonel detailed 

 many interesting facts from his own observations, and these were 

 confirmed by the parallel inquiries of Dr. Kersey, Mr. Dowker, 

 and Mr. Gardner ; the latter gentleman's flock having sufl'ered 

 severely from the pest, while he had endured much anxiety and 

 expense in remedial means. 



Jime 6th, 1872. — Scropularia vernalis, Aceras anthropophora, Le- 

 pidium Draha, Statice reticulata, and Saxifraga longifolia. — Mr. 

 James Reid brought fresh plants of the Yellow Eigwort, collected 

 in the vicinity of 'Canterbury, and supposed to be new to the 

 Kentish flora. The Eev. President, Dr. Mitchinson, while cast- 

 ing no doubt on the wildness of the present specimen, remarked 

 that much caution should be used concerning such cases ; for, after 

 having himself found this very species abounding near Peter- 

 borough, he had learned that a botanist had been in the habit of 

 sowing scarce plants in that neighbourhood. Mr. Eeid noticed 

 the unusual abundance of the Green Man- orchis near Canter- 

 bury during the present season. The Whitlow Pepperwort was 

 described by Mr. Gulliver as very plentiful in fructification on 



