290 British Association for the Advancement of Science. 
fibre,’ by the Rev. J. B. Reade, was read by the secretary. The 
author commenced by observing, that Professor Henslow, in his 
late work on Botany, hhad stated, that great difficulties existed in 
the way of obtaining an accurate analysis of the chemical composi- 
tion of vegetable membraye and fibre. Having observed the accu- 
racy with which his friend, Mr. Rigg, of Walworth, analyzed vege- 
table products, he recommended him to commence a series of, 
experiments on this subject, and obtained the following results :— 
Spiral vessels from the Hyacinth yielded— 
Carbon - - - - = - 41.8 
Hydrogen - - - - - - bit 
Nitrogen - - - - - - 4.3 
Water - - - - - - 51.8 
Residuary matter - - - = - 1.0 
100.0 
Cellular tissue :— 
Carbon - Satan - - - 39.2 
Oxygen - - - - - - 7.4. 
Nitrogen - - - - - - 3.9 
Water - - - - - - 48.5 
Residue - - - - - - 1.0 
100.0 
An analysis of different parts of the flower-stalk of the hyacinth 
gave the following results :— 
Cc 15 peso) N W... JRes 
Epidermis and stomates - 41.7 — 2.0 40 50.8 1.5 
Cellular tissue beneath epidermis 41.8 — 2.1 4.1 50.5 1.5 
Woody fibre under bark - 39.2 0.5 — 5.7 55.6 1.0 
Spiral vessels - - - 338 17 — 3.9 58.1 0.5 
In these experiments, the existence of nitrogen to so great an ex- 
tent was pointed out as remarkable. 
Vegetable Phystology.—Mr. Nevan detailed some experiments 
‘on vegetable physiology.’ The experiments were performed on 
elms, forty years of age in February, 1836. 
1. The stem of the tree was denuded, in a circle, of its cortical 
integument alone, leaving the alburnum beneath uninjured. On the 
May following the denuded part was filled up by the exudation of 
bark and wood from the upper surface of the wound, and the tree 
had not suffered in growth. 
