204 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
17th December, 1874. 
On the Ovary and Ovaries in Butomus wmbellatus. — Dr. 
McNab exhibited three preparations of Flowering Rush, Butomus 
wmbellatus, showing some peculiarities observable in that plant. 
(1) Transverse sections of the ovaries, showing six carpels 
arranged in two rows. The whole inner surface of each—with the 
exception, first, of the line corresponding to the midrib of the 
carpellary leaf, and secondly, the ventral suture or the edges of the 
carpels—is covered with ovules. These ovules are very numerous, 
but only a few are fertilized and form perfect seeds. (2) A prepara- 
tion showing the development of the ovule and its coats; the ovules 
are anatropal, and exhibit in their young stages the nucleus, 
secundine, and primine. (3) Another preparation showing that in 
the ovules at the time of fertilization the secundine projects beyond 
the primine or outer coat, which is shortened. The micropyle is 
formed entirely by the projecting secundine, the two parts of the 
micropyle, namely, the exostome or opening in the primine and 
endostome or opening in the secundine, not being observable. 
Rytiphleaa Baileyi(?) from North America.—Dr, EK. Perceval 
Wright exhibited a portion of the type-specimen of Rytiphlea 
Baileyi of Harvey, and contrasted it with a species of the same genus 
from North America, sent for comparison by Dr. Farlow. ‘The spe- 
cimen sent was not in fruit; the type-specimen only exhibited 
antheridia, so that until further material should turn up the very 
existence of this species must to a certain extent remain doubtful. 
Malformation in Amphitetras.—Rev. KE. O'Meara drew attention 
to acurious malformation in Amphitetras antediluviana, in which 
one of the four angles was greatly hypertrophied and broadly 
truncate. This remarkable and owfré specimen was found in some 
material from the stomach of Ascidians taken at Roundstone Bay, 
Co. Galway. 
Form of Cladophora glomerata.—Mr. Crowe showed noteworthy 
examples of a very thick-walled short-celled form of the somewhat 
polymorphous Cladophora glomerata, taken from a stream in the 
Chamounix valley. 
New sp. of Mite (obtained from human face).—Dr. Macalister 
showed two specimens of a species of mite sent to him by Professor 
Cleland, of Galway. They had been taken off a lady’s face by 
Dr. Freeman, in Jamaica, and were forwarded by him to Prof. 
Cleland. They were male and female, and apparently a new species, 
which Dr. Macalister hopes shortly to describe. 
Problematie fungal growth—Dr. Frazer drew attention to a 
minute, probably fungal organism, found by him on a painted metal 
flower-pot, forming little cuneiform bodies, attached by their narrow 
extremities, and apparently of a spongy tissue, and having a prettily 
villous surface, to the naked eye appearing as if transversely banded 
in at least three colours, white, green, and red, from below upwards ; 
when examined under a moderate power, these colours passed more 
gradually into one another. ‘There was not anything like fructifi- 
