( 899 ) 



loses its convexity as it passes into the beak; the beak at its base 

 is flattened triangular, but becomes terete above. 



As all the specimens we have jet seen (about 20) have apparently 

 germinated, it is impossible to describe the exact shape of the nuts 

 or the complete setae ; we have therefore figured several actual 

 specimens, without attempting to restore them. The setae are more 

 or less broken, but we cannot fmd clear evidence of more than 8 

 in any of the specimens ; they differ from those of D. spathaceum 

 in their flattening, and they are longitudinally channelled instead of 

 showing a midrib. The fruits undoubtedly belong to the genus Duli- 

 chium ; and as the living species has a wide range in latitude we 

 thought it possible that some form (several different ones have been 

 recorded) might agree with our fossil. We fmd, ho wever, that the 

 fruits of the recent forms in the Kew herbarium vary only slightly ; 

 they are always much larger than our fossil, and the nut is long, 

 narrow, and parallel-sided. 



Whether the genus Dulichium originated in Europe or in North 

 America there is nothing to show. It has now only one living spe- 

 cies, confmed to America ; but this species has been found also in 

 a fossil state in Denmark. Now, in an older deposit in the province 

 of Limburg; we discover an extinct form. Very little is yet known 

 as to the geological history of the Cyperaceae, and Dulichium will 

 probably turn out to have been widely distributed and to have had 

 many species. The genus is at present very isolated and the new 

 fossil form makes no approach to any other genus. 



De Voorzitter brengt in herinnering dat, volgens de bepalingen 

 van het Buitenzorg-fonds, in de eerstvolgende weken de oproeping 

 zal moeten geschieden voor personen, die voor een bezoek aan 

 's Lands Plantentuin te Buitenzorg in aanmerking wenschen te komen; 

 en deelt mede dat hij wegens het bereiken van den 70-jarigen 

 leeftijd tot de rustende leden is overgegaan. 



Op voorstel van den Voorzitter wordt besloten de volgende ver- 

 gadering te houden op Vrijdag 29 Mei a.s. wanneer het blijkt dat 

 bij de Hollandsche Maatschappij van Wetenschappen onoverkomelijke 

 bezwaren bestaan op een anderen dag te vergaderen dan Zaterdag 

 30 Mei a.s. 



