Miscellaneous. 379 



with the view of ascertaining the direction of the sap, and the sup- 

 posed pecuhar principles which allowed it to develope leaves or roots. 

 Mr Niven considered, that there were two constant principles, the 

 one upwards, which he terms the leaf principle, the other downwards, 

 or that producing- the roots, and he stated that he thought these 

 could not be controverted. In confirmation he produced a specimen 

 of the elm ringed round about to the depth of one or two layers in 

 the wood. The under surface of the cut part produced young shoots 

 with leaves, while on the upper part of the excision abundance of 

 roots were springing out. Various modifications of the same experi- 

 ments were detailed. Drawings in illustration of them were exhi- 

 bited ; showing at the same time, that the tree or bi'anch would be 

 supported, and would live for a considerable time, at least when sub- 

 jected to a very deep incision or insulation of the parts ; different trees, 

 however, having various powers of prolonging their existence, or of 

 producing additional wood and bark under the above-mentioned cir- 

 cumstances. Professor Lindley observed, that the experiments were 

 all consonant with the present generally received opinions, but con- 

 sidered roots to be only the wood part sent down by the buds. 



Mr Gray made some observations on one or two species of Mam- 

 malia preserved in the collection of the Koyal Institution. The first 

 was a species of otter from Demerara. It is intermediate in form be- 

 tween the common otter or Lutra, and the Enhydra, is remarkable 

 for the great developement of the webs of the hinder feet, has the 

 tail partially broadened, or fringed with a lateral membrane, and 

 the muzzle is entirely hairy, with nothing bare excepting the edge 

 of the nostrils. Mr Gray considered this animal as being the 

 fourth type of the otters. The next animal was TJicdacinus cynoce- 

 phalus, exhibited on account of the very young state of the specimen, 

 which would scarcely exceed four inches in height, and remarked 

 that the teeth now resembled in their formation those of the young 

 seals. Two specimens of Philantombo were shewn, a species of an- 

 telope fi'om westei'n Africa, called as above by the natives of Sierra 

 Leone, and which Major H. Smith had described from a young and 

 small specimen in the British Museum under the name of Ant. phi- 

 lantombo ; and lastly, a perfect specimen of the Felis gracilis of Dr 

 Horsfield. 



Mr Lindley made some additional observations on Victoria regina, 

 which was exhibited yesterday. 



Wednesday, I3th September. 

 The paper brought forward by Dr Traill at last meeting was first 



