EAST KKNT NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 217 



Statohlasts of Plumafella. — Colonel Horaley remarked the 

 abundance of Pltmiatella repens about Canterbury, and how 

 easily this beautiful species may be kept in the aquarium. This 

 had enabled him to ccmiirm Dr. AUmau's observations, that the 

 statohlasts are not ova, but a peculiar form of bud produced in 

 the funiculus. The Colonel exhibited the statohlasts under the 

 microscope, and suggested, for future research, the question as 

 to how far they may admit of comparisou with the winter ova of 

 Rotifera, and the ephippia of Daphne. 



Hydras and their Prey. — Mr. Fullagar showed many live 

 specimens of Hydra viridis and Cyclops quadricornis. When the 

 Cyclops was put to the Hydra, the former was instantly taken 

 by the latter, sometimes ingested immediately, and often only 

 seized or touched by the polyp's tentacles, and allowed to float 

 away. But in either case the death of the prey was sure, as 

 proved in many trials. Hence he concludes in the afiirmative 

 as to the vexed question of the power of the fresh- water polyp to 

 destroy its prey by mere stinging. 



December 4ifh, 1873. 



JSffffs of Fresh-water Polyps. — Mr. Fullagar exhibited and made 

 some observations thereon. The ovum of Hydra vulgaris is of 

 an orange colour, and about ^^th of an inch in diameter ; the 

 ovum of Hydra viridis is of a light brown colour, and about ^'^th 

 of an inch in diameter ; these ova of both species are spherical. 

 An egg of Hydra viridis, detached from the parent towards the 

 end of May, was hatched in his aquarium about thirty days 

 thereafter. 



Utricular Hairs of Chenopods. — The Hon. Sec. showed, by 

 drawings and preparations, that the so-called mealiness of these 

 plants is produced by simple hairs of two or three cells, the 

 terminal cell being dilated into a globular vesicle, numbers of 

 which so reflect the light as to produce the mealy appearance. 

 By transmitted light they appear colourless and transparent. The 

 dilated terminal cell is about 2 6 e*^ ^^ ^d inch in diameter. 



Calcareous granules on Bryonia dioica. — These, commonly de- 

 scribed by botanists as " asperities" or " callous points," he proved, 

 by extemporaneous preparations and experiments, should be 

 rather called Calcareous granules ; for this is their true nature, 

 as they are composed of carbonate of lime. Each callous point is 

 about tIt^^ of an inch in diameter, and the smooth, shiny, con- 

 stituent granules composing that point have an average size of 

 ^^g^th of an inch. This profusion of calcareous matter on the sur- 

 face of the leaf of bryouia is remarkable, as this plant is tliroughout 

 devoid of any rapliides, and contains an unusually small number of 

 other saline crystals. 



Sphceraphides and Epidermis of the leaf of the Tea Plant. — The 

 public mind being now much interested about the adulterations 

 of tea, the Hon. Sec. gave some demonstrations, and exhibited 

 preparations of the leaf of a fresh plant of Thea viridis. The 



