292 BRITISH ASSOCIATION, MEETING AT EXETER. 
dark purple anthers are a mass of some Cryptogamic plant, allied, T 
suppose, to the smut of Wheat. In the bud the pollen grains can be 
distinguished, afterwards they are wholly corrupted. There remains a 
pretty case of a reversion from a dicecious to a hermaphrodite con- 
dition.” Subsequently he suggested that the plants might be natural 
hybrids. The impression crossed his mind that, the pollen being de- 
stroyed at an early period, the ovarium was developed in compensation. 
Miss Becker pursued her observations, and to account for the appear- 
-ances she had two theories:—1. That the bisexual plants were cases 
of natural reversion to the original form, and that their association 
with the fungus disease was accidental. 2. That the parasitic fungus 
caused the-flowers to assume the bisexual form. She maintained the 
last of the two to be the right one. Entering into many considera- 
tions in support of her view, she suggested that it might be an instance 
in illustration of Darwin’s theory of Pangenesis. Dr. Dickson thought 
Miss Becker’s theory unsupported by the evidence. Precedent disease 
of the Lychnis was the probable cause of the fungus growing in it.— 
Dr. Wilkes questioned the notion that a fungus parasite could help in 
developing the organs of a plant.—Professor Balfour, while acknow- 
ledging the excellence of the paper, disagreed with Miss Becker’s con- 
clusion. If Miss Becker was right, the instance was the first known 
to the botanical world.—Miss Becker replied cleverly. Perhaps it was 
the first instance, but why might not she make the first discovery of 
it? She was quite prepared to hear that they disagreed with her view, 
for, as far as she had observed, that section was remarkable for this, 
that everybody disagreed with everybody else. [Compare leading article 
in * Gardeners’ Chronicle,’ Sept. 25, 1869, on this subject.—Ep.] 
“ On the Relative Value of the Characters employed in the Classifica- 
tion of Plants.” By Dr. Maxwell T. Masters. This paper was de- 
voted to the consideration of some of the means employed by botanists 
in elaborating the “ natural" systems of classification, and to the esti- 
mation of the relative value to be attached to these means. The cha- 
racters treated of were the following :—1, characters derived from the 
relative frequency of occurrence of a particular form, or a particular 
arrangement of organs; 2, developmental characters, whether ** conge- 
nital” or *aequired;" 3, teratological characters; 4, rudimentary 
eharacters ; 5, special physiological characters; 6, characters dependent 
on geographical distribution. Illustrations were given in explanation 
ad A eor a a 
Miri, i 
