378 . Miscellaneous. 



tested with these parasites, live in moist places, some of them are 

 entirely aquatic. One species he discovered in a species of Phry^ 

 ganea, though he had not succeeded in detecting it in their larvae ; 

 among the Lepidoptera he had not discovered any. A list of forty 

 species of insects, which were infested with Filaria, was laid before 

 the meeting. Rudolphi considered all the species to be identical; 

 but in this assertion Mr Hope could not agree, having detected se- 

 veral among the Coleoptera, while that in the Phryganea were dis- 

 tinct from all ; and he considered that each species, or at least each 

 genus, possessed a species peculiar to it. Several distinct forms even 

 seemed to exist, while the distinction between Gordius and Filaria 

 had not yet been aufficiently marked, and he would now propose, that 

 Filaria should be restricted to the form exhibited by the common 

 Guinea worm (F. Medinensis,) and concluded by recommending atten- 

 tion to the species which infested the animals composing our own 

 Fauna. 



Mr Duncan asked if Mr Hope had paid sufficient attention to the 

 different species to say that they were distinct in each ? Mr Hope 

 said he had, and that he considered they would aiford the means of 

 distinguishing the closely allied animals, and that those infesting the 

 higher orders were distinct from the insect parasites. Mr Macleay 

 considered the paper a most valuable one, and thought that each in- 

 sect contained its peculiar species. He could add to the list on the 

 table, and possessed a spider which contained a Filaria. In an 

 article in the Bibliotheque Universelle, a Filaria is recorded from a 

 specimen of Gryllus. The tenacity of life was also alluded to : that 

 belonging to the Gryllus had remained dried up for several weeks, and 

 when placed in water again revived. Mr Hope concurred in these 

 observations, and stated that he believed the specimen on the table 

 was yet alive, having made various contortions since the insect had 

 been set up. 



Mr Bowman read a paper by Mr Gardener on the internal struc- 

 ture of the palm tribe. Mr Gardener is now in the Brazils, making 

 observations on the botany of the country, of which that now com- 

 municated was among the first received. It contained some curious 

 observations regarding the manner in which the woody part was pro- 

 duced, assimilating its formation to a certain extent with that of the 

 Coniferse. Mr Bowman offered to be the medium of communication 

 between Mr Gardener and the Association. 



Mr Niven communicated the I'esults of some interesting experi- 

 ments in reference to vegetable physiology. The experiments were 

 made chiefly upon the Ulmus campestris, or common English elm, 



