Prof. G. Gulliver on Raphides. AL 
7. Fenella reticulata, A. Ad. 
Dunkeria reticulata, A. Ad., Annals, 1860. 
Hab, Awa-Sima ; in shell-sand. 
8. Fenella craticulata, A. Ad. 
Dunkeria craticulata, Annals, 1860. 
Hab. Gotto Islands; 48 fathoms: Mino-Sima; 63 fathoms. 
9. Fenella rufocincta, A. Ad. 
Dunkeria rufocineta, A. Ad., Annals, 1860. 
Hab. Mososeki: Takano-Sima: Tanabe. 
V.— Observations on Raphides. By Guorce Guuiiver, F.R.S. 
[Continued from vol. xii. p. 447.] 
Raphis-bearing Orders——Of British plants we have already 
shown that there are many orders, as Rubiacee, Balsaminacee, 
and Onagracez, which are truly raphis-bearing ; and an exami- 
nation of a few exotic species has confirmed the propriety of 
this character. We have also proved that, in typical plants of 
this kind, the formation of raphides is a constant, fundamental, 
essential, and intrinsic result of the vigorous plant-life; and 
that they are, throughout its existence, so truly part and parcel 
of its very nature, that we find them abundantly from the ovule 
to the seed-leaves and thence through all the stages of the 
plant-growth to the ripe fruit—in short, from the cradle to the 
grave of the species. And hence, independently of the value of 
the facts in other respects, raphides may in some instances 
afford a more certain and useful diagnosis than any other single 
one which has yet been employed in systematic botany. 
While such raphidiferous orders may be closely surrounded, 
in the natural arrangement, by other orders destitute of raphides, 
there are, conversely, orders not affording raphides, and yet 
standing between orders which are regular raphis-bearers. Thus, 
Hydrocharidaceze, an order not characterized by raphides, is im- 
mediately preceded and succeeded, in Professor Babington’s 
‘Manual of British Botany,’ by Dioscoreaceze and Orchidacee— 
two orders which abound in raphides. Again, Alisma and every 
species which I have examined of Potamogeton are devoid of 
raphides, while all the British orders placed between Alismaceze 
and Potamogetonacee are remarkably raphidiferous; and nu- 
merous other instructive examples of the like kind might be 
given. 
Surely all these facts amount to an accumulation of evidence, 
