860 BOTANICAL NEVA'S. 
character assigned to the sections were absohite, in tlie negative. Dr. Sender, 
of Hanibnrg, drew attention to the difference of taste observable in the fruit of 
various brambles. He could distinguisli sweet- and acid-fruited ones ; and 
about Hamburg there were popular names for the different tinds, and the 
sweet-fruited kinds only were brought to market. Another gentleman, whose 
name we could not catch, remarked that the fruit of the glandular section had 
a peculiarly aromatic flavour. Prof. Hallier, of Jena, spoke on the Fungi 
found on the human body, and on the Ferment-fungi in their connection 
■with Penicillium gjaucxim. Dr. Buck, of Hamburg, exhibited rare exotic 
fruits selected from liis carpological collection, and Dr. Wilms Fungi growing 
on i\\Qlarv(B of insects. Dr. Buchenau, of Bremen, read a paper on the vege- 
tation of the genus Triglochin. Mr. Hermann Wendland proposed a new 
classification of Palma; he divided them into two suborders {ArecacecB and 
CocoinecB), showed the relationship of Nipa with BorassuSy the necessity of 
reducing al] the Cocoineae to three genera {Cocos, Flaeis^ and Bactris), and 
the identity of the American and West African species of Raphia. Dr. Hartig 
read a paper on tlie Infusoria and spores of Fungi supposed to infest the at- 
mospherej and his experiments proving the paucity of such bodies in that medium. 
He did not believe in spontaneous generation, but thought that organic bodies, 
after aiTiving at a certain stage of decomposition, were changed, as jiroved 
by his experiments, into new organisms. Dr. Jessen, of Eldena, showed the 
identity of Prassiola crispa and Lgnghga mifrah'Sj and made some remarks 
about the^^egetation of the plant. Prof. Schultz-Schultzenstein spoke on the 
transformation of the crude sap into vital sap {Lebenssaft) , which gave 
rise to an animated discussion. Dr. Hartig, of Brunswick (Conservator of 
Forests), reported on his experiments, not yet concluded, with Pinus StrohuSy 
the object of which was to find out how far the production of wood was 
influenced by the removal of the branches and leaves, and which of the two 
terns of planting in arboriculture (that of giving plenty or that of giving 
limited space to individual forest-trees) was the most advantageous in an 
economical point of view. Dr. Harticr also gave an account of his recent dis- 
covery of the tannin-granules in the annual shoots of oaks ; he showed that 
these granules had been mistaken for starch, because they turned blue under 
the influence of iodine ; and he pointed out the practical value of his discovery 
to tanners. Dr. Seemann drew attention to the systematic value of the aesti- 
vation of UmhelUfer^e, and thought that the generic characters of that order 
could be rendered more precise if this point was attended to. In TlmlelUfercB 
proper he found the vexQlary aestivation prevail in most genera having irregular 
corolltis. Prof, Bartling remarked that he had never seen the jellow -flowering 
Umhellifera quite unfold their petals. The members of the section made two 
excursions to the Botanic Gardens at Herrenhausen, where one of the richest 
and rarest collections of plants, and the most complete set of Palms, is now 
cultivated. The name of the garden is honourably associated with the history 
of botany. It was here where Elirhardt, a pupil of Linnaeus, wrote his 
' Beitrage/ the elder Wendland his works on Ericas, and in connection with 
Schrader his * Sertum ;' his son, a work on phyllodineous Acacias, and in con- 
junction with Bartling a monograph of Diosmea?; and his grandson (Hermann 
Wendland), numerous papers on the Palms and allied Orders. 
