February, 1909. ] Annual Report. xix 
important work will be completed by volume Ixxv of the 
Journal, old series. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Prain and Mr. Burkill have given 
diagnoses in the September Journal of seventeen new species of 
Dioscorea. 
Mr. Martin Leake’s paper in the January Journal on Ezx- 
perimental Breeding of the Indian Cottons is of great interest. It 
proves that in the United Provinces crossing of species and races 
of cottons grown together occurs freely, and indicates that the 
results follow mendelian rules. 
of insects on the flowers. It is suggested that the summer and 
autumn floras of Simla should be analysed in a similar way in 
order to see if the advent of the rains brings in an increase 
in the proportion of flowers which by being pendulous protect 
their honey and pollen from getting wet. It is also suggested 
that the curious habit of one of the Bumble bees of biting co- 
rollas on the left side is brought about by the way in which 
certain of the hill flowers, e.g., Impatiens and Pedicularis, are 
constantly oblique. 
Medical Section of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 
Meetings of this section have been held regularly through- 
out the year, the attendance has been well maintained, and the 
various papers keenly discussed. Specially noteworthy have 
been the debates on epidemic dropsy and tubercular diseases 
in Bengal, at each of which several papers by different authors 
were read, and much important information recorded. Other 
subjects of interest have been the differentiation of the typhoid 
diplomas and certificates, some of them colourable imitations 
of the Calcutta University degrees in medicine, has been 
usse 
