LINNE.VN SOCIEXr OF LONDON^. Ixxix 



Oil phyllotaxis has now beea followed up by some interesting 

 observation* and studies on the organogenesis and homology of the 

 leaf, of Avhich I have just received a separate reprint from the Biblio- 

 thefjue Universelle, nnder the title of ' Theorie de la Feuille.' He 

 considers the leaf as a branch of which the development has been 

 arrested, comparing it also with the cup (or hypanthium of the 

 Germans) in the Rosaceous flower, and details his evidences, derived 

 chiefly from iho examination of the position and direction of the 

 vascular tissue, with considerable ingenuity. Whether his conclu- 

 sions are or are not to bo adopted is a question requiring more study 

 than I have as yet been able to bestow upon it, before expressing 

 any opinion. 



From Grisebach's review of the progress of Geographical Botany I 

 learn that Dr. Christ has published a valuable essay on the distribution 

 of the plants of the Alpine regions of the European chain of Alps — 

 a work which I have not met with myself, but in which it appears 

 that he claims for the mountain-chains of the mainland of Europe 

 and Asia the site of the centre of that flora which has received the 

 name of the Scandinavian peninsula. 



Italy. 



I have no memoranda on any special zoological works published 

 in Italy within the last tAvo years. F. de Filippi has transmitted to 

 the Academy of Sciences of Turin a series of observations on Marine 

 Animals made during a voyage to Gibraltar, Rio Janeiro, Batavia, 

 Cochin China, Japan, and China ; and Signer Doria's expedition to 

 Borneo appears to have been very successful in its zoological as 

 well as its botanical results. Signer Beccari, who accompanied him, 

 has spent above two years in thoroughly exploring the territory of 

 the Rajah of Sarawak. He is now on his way home, or has al- 

 ready returned to Florence, whither his friend Doria had preceded 

 him, and where we hear the whole of their very rich zoological and 

 botanical collections have safely arrived. They purpose immediately 

 to prepare them for publication, probably in a separate work on the 

 flora and fauna of Sarawak. 



In Botany nothing has been done yet towards completing the 

 Flora of the Peninsula worked out according to natural orders, 

 so elaborately commenced by Parlatore. The venerable Bertoloni, 

 now above ninety years of ago,- has issued a second part or volume 

 of the Cryptogamic portion of his ' Flora Italica,' containing the 

 Algce, which, however, I have not myself seen. Caruel, who com- 



