xviii Proceedings. [January 2^tk, i8g8. 



Ordinary Meeting, January 25th, 1898. 

 James Cosmo Melvill, M.A., F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



The thanks of the members were voted to the donors of the 

 books upon the table. 



The President referred to the loss sustained by the Society 

 through the death of Mr. Thomas Ashton, who, since the death 

 of Mr. James Heywood, was the oldest member of the Society, 

 having been elected in 1837. 



Mr. J. J. AsHWORTH called attention to a paper by Mr. J. 

 Smith (brother of the late Dr. Angus Smith) in Vol. XXI. of the 

 Society's Memoirs {\'^^<^ " on the origin of colours and the theory 

 of light," in which is given a complete description of the colour- 

 phenomena seen when a black and white disc is rapidly rotated. 

 As the phenomena have been to some extent re-discovered during 

 the past few years, and have attracted considerable interest, 

 Mr. Ashworth thought it advisable to direct attention to a paper, 

 which appeared to have been forgotten, in which the subject is 

 treated with great thoroughness. 



The President exhibited specimens of y^gilops^ Triticum, 

 and Agropyrum from his herbarium, as bearing upon the subject 

 of an enquiry made at a recent meeting of the Society as to the 

 origin of wheat, Triticum vulgare Vill. being not supposed to 

 have ever been found in a truly wild condition. Mr. Melvill 

 particularly pointed out yEgilops ovata L., having a distribution 

 over the Mediterranean region of Europe from Portugal to 

 Crete, and likewise, according to Boissier {Flora Orientalis, vol. 

 V. p. 674), extending to Persia, Egypt, and the Caucasus, North 

 Africa, and the Canary Islands. It does not, however, find a 

 place in the flora of India, or further East, M. Fabre, of Agde, 

 announced some fifty or more years ago that this grass, when 

 cultivated, became wheat. In a condition of nature, ^. ovata 

 is more fragile, and the glumes and palese possess a larger 



