160 



Ais'xuAL MsETiN'a, October 4, 1881. 

 His Honor Chief Justice Way, President, in tlie chair. 

 The list o£ donations to the library was read. 

 Dr. E. C. Stirling, M.A., was elected a Fellow, 



NOTES AJfD EXHIBITS. 



Mr. Stirliis'g- Smeaton exhibited living specimens o£ 

 AmpJi ipe])lea papyracea. 



Mr. 1\ S. Ceawford, in reference to the weed known as 

 Cape Marigold, Dandelion, &c. {Cryptostemma calendulaced), 

 now growing so plentifnlly over the country, stated that he 

 had been experimenting with a view to seeing whether there 

 was any foundation for the belief that the pollen caused what 

 was known as the " dandelion fever." The result of his experi- 

 ments was in his opinion the pollen did not float in the air, but 

 was carried by insects, as the dandelion belonged to the order 

 of plants which insects sought for the honey, and it did not 

 trust to the air for extending its fertilising powers. He covered 

 glass sides with piiper, leaving a hole, and coaved the A^acant 

 space with glycerine and spirits of wine ; put some of them on 

 posts, and carried others, exposing them to air where the weed 

 grew plentifully, but of twenty- eight exposed in that way not 

 one showed a deposit of pollen. The pollen grain was so well 

 marked that it could not be mistaken. 



Professor Tate said the experiments might bring consider- 

 able relief of mind to some people, for there were many who 

 believed that they were affected by the dandelion, because they 

 had some little ailment at the time. The majority of our native 

 plants were not wind fertilised. He would rather look among 

 our grasses for the cause of hay fever. 



Dr. Dayies-Thomas said he was not aware of any reliable 

 experiments on the subject at all, except Mr. Crawford's. He 

 was quite sure the ailments were much exaggerated, and he 

 could not recall an obvious case as being due to that cause at 

 all. He himself was rather sceptical about the alleged preva- 

 lence of the fever. At the season of the year that dandelions 

 were about the weather was changeable, and the people not 

 being careful enough of themselves in the way of clothing were 

 subject to colds. 



Mr. Todd had experienced hay fever in England, and agreed 

 with Dr. Thomas that at this season of the year in Australia 

 the sudden changes of temperature affected some persons. 



The following papers were taken as read: — 

 1. " Descriptions of Xew South Australian Plants," Trans- 

 lated by Mr. Stirling Smeaton. 



