1030 



obtained from the same source as Dr. Pereira's, namely, frou) Mr. 

 Skinner, to whom botanists and pharmaceutists were under great 

 obligations, for the trouble he was always ready to take to facilitate 

 their investigations. 



2. The spadix, with flowers and fruit, of the Colocasia odora. The 

 leaves of this plant, and those of allied species, although very acrid 

 when fresh (like most of the plants of the natural order Araceae, to 

 which they belong), when boiled are commonly eaten in some tropi- 

 cal countries ; and from their corms a nutritious soup is prepared. 



3. The flowering stem and fruit of Thalia dealbata, natural order 

 Marantaceae. These two latter specimens were obtained from the 

 Royal Botanical Gardens. 



4. A portion of Hydrodictyon utriculatum, under the microscope, 

 showing the movable spores, &c. 



Portland Arrow-root. 



The following paper, ' On Portland Arrow-root,' by Mr. T. B. 

 Groves, was read. 



" In the course of lectures on Materia Medica, of the Pharmaceuti- 

 cal Society, delivered in the session of 1850 — 51, by our nnich- 

 lamented Professor, Dr. Pereira, he mentioned some facts relative to 

 the manufacture of Portland arrow-root, which led me to infer, that 

 he considered it was carried on to a considerable extent by the inha- 

 bitants of the Isle of Portland. Living within a short distance of the 

 island, I have thought it desirable to make some inquiries, to ascer- 

 tain to what extent it is at present carried on. Dr. Pereira probably 

 derived his information principally from an article in the * Transac- 

 tions of the Society of Arts,' vol. xv. (1797), in which it is stated that, 

 in the year 1797, the gold medal of the Society was awarded to Mrs. 

 Jane Gibbs, of Portland, for producing a sample of starch, fit for eco- 

 nomical purposes, from materials unfit for the food of man. The 

 starch, or arrow-root, as it is usually called, was prepared by her by 

 crushing in a mortar the corms of the Arum maculatum, stirring the 

 mass with water, and straining off the liquor, from which the fecula 

 was allowed to subside ; this was again washed, and afterwards dried. 

 She stated, and the statement is confirmed by the then Rector of the 

 island, that she had in her possession 2 cwt. of the starch ; and 

 was ready to supply any quantity of the same, whenever required, at 

 \\(l. per ft. Although there is no doubt that the quantity of the 

 starch n)anufactured was much greater at that time than the present, 

 yet its manufacture was never of much im})ortance. It is now almost 



