130 British Association. 
June 23.—* On the Development of Vegetable Cells.” By Mr. 
A. Henfrey. 
The conclusions were as follows :—1. That there is no such thing 
as the interruption of continuity between the liber and alburnum, 
called the cambium layer. 2. That the potentiality of the black 
granules described by Schleiden is not proved, and that the utricle 
first developed from the so-called cytoblast is not the permanent cell, 
but the primordial utricle of Mohl, the existence of which in growing 
tissues seems to be universal, , 3. That this primordial utricle is not 
a layer of mucilage, as stated by Niageli, but a true membrane. The 
nucleolus, or central spot of Schleiden’s cytoblast, is the germinal 
point, and is situated on the wall of the primordial utricle. When 
a new cellis to be formed the nucleolus divides into two, and a corre- 
sponding construction of the primordial utricle takes place until it 
separates into two, a layer of permanent cell-wall substance being 
meanwhile secreted in this fold from the cireumference to the cen- 
tre, till a complete septum is formed. ‘The lateral walls grow by 
extension, being moulded on the growing primordial utricle within 
them. In the nascent cell the primordial utricle is filled with gra- 
nular matter, which during the subsequent growth of the cell re- 
mains aggregated round the nucleolus, and thus gives rise to the 
appearances whence Schleiden derived his theory of development 
from a cytoblast. 
“ On the Phytelephas Macrocarpa (Vegetable Ivory or Tagua 
Plant).” By E. Lankester, M.D. 
The author brought this plant under the notice of the Section, as 
he was enabled to present a drawing of a young plant, which was 
now growing in the garden of Messrs. Loddiges of Hackney. A 
fruit also of this plant existed in the British Museum, of which a 
drawing was exhibited. A remarkable point in the ceconomy of this 
plant was, that the horny albumen of the seed appeared to undergo no 
change during the process of germination. In the plant at Loddiges’, 
which was now five years old, the seed still remained on the surface 
of the soil, apparently as hard as ever. In germination the young 
embryo was carried down by a rhizoma an inch or more long into 
the earth, and commenced growing at that point. Several analyses 
of the albumen of the seeds had been made by Payen, Connell, and 
Baumhauer, and, at the author’s request, by Dr. Percy of Birmingham. 
Prof. Allman gave a description of the fruit of some of the Hepa- 
tice. In the capsules, he pointed out the existence of spiral cells 
or vessels which he believed had a hygroscopic power, and that it 
was by their expansion that the capsule burst. 
“ On Ergot.” By Dr. R. Latham. 
Dr. Latham stated his conviction, that ergot was on the increase 
in this country. When he first began to observe it eight years ago, 
he found it on only a few plants; he now found it in great quanti- 
ties. He had collected it altogether from eighteen different species 
of grasses. It had also increased on the cultivated grain, and he 
believed that ergot was, at this moment, increasing absolutely and 
indefinitely. A friend of his attributed its increase to the use of 
