244 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



gamation the section of Natural History would continue to publish 

 its papers separately and not interspersed with the Siam Society's 

 usual papers. 



Mr. Brewitt Taylor suggested that it would be better to defer 

 the question of amalgamation until the Natural History Society 

 was in need of the help which such amalgamation might bring, and 

 that such did not appear to be the case at present. 



No further remarks being offered, the business part of the 

 meeting concluded, and a display of specimens followed. 



Mrs. Malcolm Smith exhibited specimens of fish obtained in 

 and around Bangkok; Mr. A. Marcan exhibited a specimen of a new 

 tree (Bignoii ia species) found in Bangkok, which would shortly be 

 described. Mom Luang Pe exhibited a living specimen of the Golden 

 < at (F. chaus), and Dr. Smith exhibited some live reptiles and batra- 

 chians that he had recently obtained in the Nakon Sritamarat hills. 



10th Annual General Meeting. 



This was held after dinner at the British Club on July 4th, 

 1922, and was attended by 14 members and 4 guests. 



Dr. Smith shewed a specimen of the Yellow-headed Krait 

 (Bungarus fiavicepsj which he had recently obtained in the Nakon 

 Sritamarat mountains, and compared it with the other two species of 

 Krait found in Siam. He shewed also a series of the frogs allied to 

 liana dorice, and pointed out the remarkable changes which had 

 taken place in the various members of the group in the course of 

 evolution. 



He exhibited also specimens of a new frog (Bana cataracta) 

 from the Nakon Sritamarat mountains and the mountains of Pahang, 

 which would shortly be described. 



Major W. R. S. Ladell then read a paper upon " The Che- 

 mistry of Plant Life," being the first of a. proposed series showing 

 the relationships between the chemistry of plant and the chemistry 

 of animal life. A number of experiments were shown indicating the 

 general composition of leaves and seeds; (1) water (2) carbon (3) 

 nitrogen (4) mineral matter. 



The composition of the combustible portion of plant tissues 

 was dealt with briefly, and the importance of carbohydrates, proteins, 

 oils and fats, emphasised. The changes occurring during the growth 

 of plants from the seed were considered generally, experiments being 

 shown relative to the conditions necessary for the proper germination 

 of seeds, (1) moisture required (2) air is essential (3) the seed 

 changes the air from a supporter to a non-supporter of combustion, 

 oxygen being replaced by carbon dioxide (4) heat is evolved during 

 ^Termination. 



JOURN. NAT. HIST. SOC. SIAM. 



