214 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



against hard times in storehouses, in bud, or tuber, or bulb, or 

 stem. With the autumn deciduous plants left off work. The 

 green chlorophyll passed away in the beautiful tints of autumn 

 leaves. Then they withered and died. This had long been 

 foreseen and. provided for by the great Architect of nature. 

 By a beautiful and simple contrivance a little wedge of differ- 

 ently constituted tissue had been growing across the base of 

 the leaf stalk, and thus formed a joint, beginning at the outside 

 and making its way across. Then a slight touch of wind or 

 frost was sufficient to break the remaining connection, and the 

 leaf fell. Plant life was a most interesting part of biology, and 

 much was to be gained in its study ; but it was full of mysteries. 

 Protoplasm — In this the life of the plant was centred, but how 

 little did we know about it ! The life seemed to be there : 

 what the life was we could not tell. As Tennyson says — 



Little flower — but if I could understand 

 What you are, root and all, and all in all, 

 I should know what God and man is. 



The second communication was by Rev. H. W. Lett, M.A., 

 T.C.D., " On the Cells of Mosses." Mr. Lett described mosses 

 as, of all tribes of plants, the best adapted for studying how 

 vegetable cells come into existence, increase in size, multiply 

 and reach maturity, because mosses are in most stages of their 

 growth of a semi-transparent nature, and can be found at any 

 time of the year, and almost everywhere. The growth of a 

 moss was briefly traced from a spore up to the complete fruit- 

 bearing plant, and it was shown how cell walls, protoplasm, cell 

 sap, chlorophyll, tissues, &c, can be studied by their aid. A 

 vast field of interesting work is also contained in comparing the 

 cells of mosses, which are very various, long, linear, square, 

 hexagonal, rhomboidal, sinuous, &c. The preparation of speci- 

 mens of the cells of these plant for examination under the 

 microscope was alluded to as affording a field for experiments 

 in order to obtain a perfectly satisfactory and trustworthy 



