British Association for the Advancement of Science. 129 



ing the species the appropriate name of Flos maris, as it may 

 well be regarded, from its extreme grace and beauty, as the flower 

 of the British seas. 



Mr. Goodsir read a paper on the follicular stage of dentition in 

 the Ruminants, with some remarks on that process in the other 

 ord.ers of Mammalia, He stated, that since the former meeting, 

 he had detected the follicular stage of dentition in the pig, rabbit, 

 cow and sheep. He had verified the fact, that all the permanent 

 teeth, except the first molar which does not succeed a milk tooth, 

 are developed from the internal surface of cavities of reserve, and 

 that the depending folds of the sacs of composite teeth are formed 

 by the lips of the follicles advancing inwards, after closure of the 

 latter. He then described the progress of development of the 

 pulps and sacs of the teeth in the cow and sheep, from their first 

 appearance, as minute as possible, on the full surface of the mem- 

 brane of the mouth, or on the internal surface of the cavities of 

 reserve, till they have acquired their ultimate configuration. At 

 an early period of the embryonic life of these animals, they pos- 

 sess the germs of canine and superior incisive teeth ; the former 

 existing as developed organs in two or three genera only of rumi- 

 nants ; the latter being found in the aberrant family of the cam- 

 els. These germs have the form of slight dimples in the primi- 

 tive groove, and after the closure of the latter, they remain for a 

 short time opake nodules imbedded in the gum, in the course of 

 the line of adhesion. 



Mr. Wilde communicated his mode of preparing fish for cab- 

 inet specimens, and also read a paper on some new species of 

 Entozoa, discovered by Dr. Bellingham. 



Messrs. Edward Forbes and John Goodsir made a communica- 

 tion, on the Ciliograda of the British seas. The Ciliograda of 

 the British seas belong to three genera, viz. Cydippe (Esch- 

 scholtz,) Alcynoe (Rang,) and Beroe (Linnaeus.) Of the first 

 genus, there are four species in these seas : of the second and third, 

 two each. 



Mr. G. Webb Hall made a communication on the acceleration 

 of the growth of Wheat. He called the attention of the members 

 to certain facts connected with the acceleration of the growth of 

 wheat, and a consequent diminution of the time of its occupying 

 the ground. The ordinary period of the growth of wheat is from 

 the middle of October to the middle of August. Close observa- 



Vol. XXXVIII, No. 1.— Oct.-Dec. 1839. 17 



