838 GLEANINGS REPOKTS. 



Hybridisation. — From tlie " Herefofdshire Pomona" we glean the 

 following interesting facts as to the results of some of the fertilisation 

 experiments made by Thos. Andrew Knight. From pips or seeds of the 

 Orange pippin apple fertilised by pollen of the Golden pijipin he obtained 

 the Grange pippin (1802,) Downton pippin (1804,) Eed Ingestrie (1800,) 

 and Yellow Ingestrie (18U0.) The two last-named apples were not only 

 derived from the same parentage, but actually sprang from two pips 

 wliich occupied the same cell in the same apple. From pips of the 

 Siberian crab, fertilised by pollen from the Orange pippin, were pro- 

 duced the Yellow Siberian (1805,) the Siberian pijppin (1806,) and the 

 Foxley apple (1808.) 



|Uport$ of S^ociflics. 



BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 



SOCIETY. — Geological Section. — October 22ud. Some spicimena of rocks 

 f torn MalvcTU, sent by theliev. W. S. Symonds were exbibitcd, aud the tlianlis of 

 the s»ctiou were ordered to be sont to tbat pentleman. Tbe snction determined 

 to take part iu tbe scbeine for tbe united exainination of tbe plucial deposits of 

 tbe midlaud counti s, as proposed by Mr. W. J. Harrison, and appointed 

 tbe Rev. n. W. Cio-iskey as secretary of tlie conniiittee, to wbom all conimuui- 

 catious may be addressed. Mr. C J. Watson exbibitcd Pjiecineiis from tlie 

 carboniferous limestone of Yorksbire. Mr. Wilkinson sliowed some beautiful 

 fuui;i from Malvern. Mr. T. H. Waller read some notes ou spt-ciniHUS of rocks 

 from Sbellaud imd Orkney, and sbowed specimens and microscopic sections of 

 tbem. — General Meeting. — November 5tb. Mr. Montapu Browne exliil)ited two 

 beautiful hutti rfiies (Movpho C'l/pi-ifi) from Brazil. Mr. J. Bjifju-dlexbibited micro- 

 scopic slides, illustrating free cell formation and cell formation by merismatic 

 divisiou of protoplasm ; lie also exbibited one of tbe HcpaticiO, Tticcia r/lauca, 

 iiewtt)tbe district; Milium cii.iindafniii,\i\ fruit, from Sutton Park : aud a number 

 of rare plants, amongst wbicb were tbe followiutr : Kuphorhia I'epUs, Currif/lola 

 littoralis, Franhenia lavis, Lysimnchin tlujisi flora, Ojihioglossum amhiguum, 

 <tc. Six beautiful slides were exbibited and presented to the society, togetber 

 witb a full descrijition of tbe way in wbicb tbey bad been mounted, from 

 Mr. F. W. Sbiirpus, of Ijondon. Tbey consisted of tbe fol owiiiij : Ihujiila llnhellatn, 

 Ji. 2'l'^"^osa, ]'aiiensa ih-ticii',l'<idict:\\aria} oi I'rnster [/laciiilis, lidnihyx 7»f»-?', and 

 Palate of Bucciniim. A cordial vote of tbaiiks was passed to Mr. Sbarpus. — 

 Biological Section. — November 12tli. Mr. .1. E. Ba<jnall read " Notes on 

 Plants Collected tbis Feasuu,"' witb special reference to tbeir distributiou — first, 

 iu Warwickibire ; settond, in Great Britain ; and ibird, over tbe general surface 

 of tbe globe. He also reviewed tbe several bypotbeses wbicb liave been 

 ad\auced to account for ]>lant-distributiou, suiuniari.sing tbe tbeories proposed 

 respectively by Linnaeus, E. Forbes, Hooker, aud Darwin. Tbe jinper was 

 illustrated by a large aud beautifully mounti-d collection of rare plants, collected 

 during tbe past season in new Warwicksliire stations, sucb as I'ot(imo<ieton 

 costcri/oUuf!, ]'icin f/mcilin, Afirintonin adorata, Cfiitunrulii.t hiiiiiiiins, and many 

 otbers of equal rarity. Mr. T. Bolton gave " Notes on tbe Examination of 

 Rotifers aud Infusoria under tbe Microscope," iu wbicb be dealt witb tbe 

 inaniimlations necessary in isolating and observing tbe motile and fixed forms ©f 

 tbese organisms s.-verally, tbe us-^ of various kiuds of live-troughs, couipressoria, 

 and otber coatrivances for facilitating tbeir investigation uuder tbe inicro.scope, 

 itc, illustrating bis remarks by tbe selection and exbibilion of a variety of such 

 a:;inials. c. {/., Str/Jiaiiorerns Kichhornii, Stcutor M'ullcri, lylmnins rcrntuphi/Ili, 

 Vorticellce, J'hilodiiia roseola, &c., &c. Both tbe papers of tbe evening elicited 

 considerable discussion. 



BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY. 

 — October 30tb. ^Ir. J. Ltviek read a pni)er ou Microscopical A))puratus. In 

 tbe course of it the purchase of cheap biuo.'ular instruments was 'l!i>recatrd, as 

 tbey geuprally proved unsatisfactory, so that unless a considerable outlay could 

 be niade it was better to buy a mouocular. One common suutcu of mischief was 



