LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON, 189 
March 17th.—William Carruthers, F.R.S., President, in the 
chair.—Mr. Travers J. Briant, Mr. J. Errington de la Croix, and 
ord Bota ardens, the ty’ ologic 
Collection, was submitted to the Fellows, but was not approved by 
hem.—Mr, Charles erie rai R e nto th 
Council in we place of Trimen, who retired.—A paper 
rea —‘** Observations on the genus Ficus, with special 
reference is ‘the Indo-Chinese species,” by Dr. George King, of the 
Royal Botanical Gardens, Caleutta. The cape Ficus was founded by 
Linneus and included 7 species in his ‘ Species Plantarum,’ 1 ed. 
Sprengel’s edition of the ‘Systema’ soe contained 118 species. 
Blume described 98 Malayan Figs and Roxburgh 55 Indian species. 
In the ‘ Hortus Cliffortianus’ Linneus clearly comprehended the 
difference of the sexes, i.e., Caprifig = male, the so-called Fig = fe- 
male, and Frinosyce = Hieeteegadite. Vahl seems to hase mis- 
were not androgynous and the majority m onandrous. Later on Gas- 
parrini ahd pas each made a careful sade of the flowers "of the 
genus, and separately gave different a of the group. 
a of the group. - Dr. — describes the structural peculiari- 
flowers originally named by him Be tance attacked- flowers” but for 
which e has ‘opted Could Solms-Laubach’s term ‘“‘ Gall-flowers,”’ 
the latter botanist having anticipated him in publication, though 
Dr. King’s researches had been commenced earlier. In the paper 
now read Dr. King enters into od question of these gall-flowers, 
cutting its way through, or by bu rsting these coats; and fully de- 
veloped winged insects are often to be found in considerable 
e 
each ins ed from the ovary in which it has 
developed is aiewanie clearly ae. The pupa of the insect 
must become encysted in the ovary of the gall-flower at a very early 
period, for about the time at which the imago is escaping from the 
