GLASGOW SOCIETY OF FIELD NATURALISTS, 109 



branch of natural history which they may have chosen for their 

 study. Such a careful investigating of nature will infallibly bring 

 a rich reward. He paid a warm tribute to the memory of the late 

 Mr. M'Kinlay, whose studies and investigations in Botany had 

 made the West of Scotland famous, and had attracted the most 

 learned botanists of the Continent. He then, for the purpose of 

 attracting members to the study of mosses, gave a clear account of 

 their growth and mode of development. 



9th November, 1875. 



Mr. James Allan, Yice-President, in the chair. 



Mr. George Russell, Aucbientiber, Neilston, and Mr. James 

 Thomson, Crossford Mills, Paisley, were elected members of the 

 Society. 



specimens exhibited. 



By Mr. Alex. M'Indoe. — The fungus Torrubia militarise a para- 

 site on the pupa of a moth, collected at Dalsholm, Maryhill. 



PAPER READ. 



On the Frevention of Self-fertilisation in Plants. By Mr. K. H. 

 Paterson. 



In a typical flower there are two sets of floral envelopes — the 

 outer one, usually of a green colour, is called the calyx ; the inner 

 one, usually highly coloured, is called the corolla. The male and 

 female organs are termed respectively stamens and pistils. The 

 stamen or male organ consists of two parts — an elongated portion 

 termed the filament, and a terminal expanded portion called the 

 anther. The female organ or pistil consists of three parts — a 

 large hollow chamber called the ovary, from which there springs a 

 more or less slender portion called the style, and this again is 

 terminated by a more or less viscid knob called the stigma. In 

 the interior of the anther of the stamen there are developed little 

 cells, to which the name of pollen granules has been applied ; and 

 it is these pollen granules that, when applied to the surface of the 

 viscid stigma, fertilise the plant. If then it is necessary that the 

 pollen be applied to the surface of the stigma in order to fertilise 

 the plant, how is the pollen conveyed to the stigma? Before 



