528 



be common in all the islands. To estimate the importance of the introduction of this 

 plant, we must bear in mind the great quantity of nutritious food furnished by the 

 Banana. Humboldt has told us that he was never wearied with astonishment at the 

 smallness of the portion of soil which, in Mexico and the adjoining provinces, would 

 yield sustenance to a family for a year ; and that the same extent of ground which, in 

 wheat, would maintain only two persons, would yield sustenance under the Banana to 

 fifty, although in that favoured region the return of wheat is never less than seventy, 

 and is sometimes as much as a hundred fold. The return on an average, in Great 

 Britain, is not more than nine for one." 



Mr. Ralfs' paper on the Diatomaceae, No. III., was then read, containing descrip- 

 tions of several genera. 



On the Development of Leaves. By Dr. Dickie, Lecturer on Botany, King's Col- 

 lege, Aberdeen. — The author concludes by stating — " that it cannot be said that the 

 forms of leaves in flowering plants have any dependence whatever on their venation, 

 since young leaves are lobed &c. previous to the appearance of the veins. The truth 

 appears to be, that the quantity of cellular tissue in a leaf determines the development 

 and positions of the veins, and not the opposite." 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



December 16, 1842. — Dr. W. H. Willshire in the chair. The following donations 

 were announced : — British plants from the Liverpool Natural-History Society, Mr. J. 

 Tatham, Mr. W. Baxter, Mr. J. Goodlad, jun-, and Mr- W. J. West ; and a small 

 collection of plants from Sierra Leone, from Mr. Adam Gerard. 



A paper was read from Dr. John Lhotsky, " On the limits of Vegetation." 



January 6, 1843. — J. E. Gray, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the chair. The follow- 

 ing donations were announced : — British plants from the Royal Horticultural Society 

 of Cornwall, Dr. Philip B. Ayres, Mr. J. Merrick, Mr. I. Brown, Mr. T. Twining, 

 jun., Mr. W. L. Notcutt, and Mr. T. Beesley; British Fungi from Mr. H. O. Ste- 

 phens. The Rev. W. H. Coleman presented a specimen of Carex Boennhausiana, 

 Weihe, found by him in Herts. 



Dr. John Lhotsky read a paper " On the Sugar of Eucalyptus." 



January 20, 1843. — Adam Gerard Esq. in the chair. Donations to the library were 

 announced from the Boston Natural-History Society, the Manchester Geological So- 

 ciety, from the President, from Mr. W. Baxter, Mr. E. Doubleday, Mr. S. P. Wood- 

 ward, Mr. Van Voorst, Mr. Lovell Reeve, Professor Meneghini, and the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, Philadelphia. 



British plants had been received from Mr. James Buckman and Dr. J. F. Young; 

 British mosses from Mr. W. Gardiner jun. Mr. Robert Embleton presented a speci- 

 men of Majanthemum bifolium, De C, (Convallaria bifolia, Linn.), found by him at 

 Howick, in Northumberland.* 



Mr. William Gardiner, jun., communicated a paper, being " A Notice of Locali- 

 ties for some of the rarer Alpine Hypna." The paper was accompanied with speci- 

 mens. — G. E. D. 



* See Phytol. 520. 



