SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 27 



tions " which are characteristic of cultivation were equally so in nature, he 

 reasonably requires natural selection to correspond with artificial selection, 

 but that assumption he believed to be erroneous. For experiments proved 

 that by sowing seeds in a very different medium, all the seedlings vary in 

 the same direction, viz. that of adaptation to the new environment, verifying 

 Mr. Herbert Spencer's statement that " under new conditions the organism 

 immediately begins to undergo certain changes in structure, fitting it for its 

 new conditions." The conclusion is thus arrived at which is expressed in 

 the title of this paper. The functions of natural selection therefore become 

 limited as follows: — (1) The survival of the constitutionally strongest 

 amongst seedlings. (2) Delimitation of species by the non-reproduction of 

 intermediate forms. (3) The geographical distribution of plants by self- 

 adaptation. An interesting discussion followed in which Prof. Reynolds 

 Green, the Rev. Dr. Klein, Mr. Perry Coste, and others took part. 



December 7th. — Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair. 



Mr. A. Trevor Battye was admitted a Fellow of the Society, and the 

 following were elected : — Messrs. J. H. Cooke, H. Cummins, R. E. Leach, 

 C. Sharp, A. Smith, F. C. Smith, A. H. Teague, and H. L. Thompson. 



Mr. C. T. Druery exhibited and made remarks upon a new example of 

 apospory in Scolopendrium vulgare, and Prof. Bower brought forward a 

 similar case in Trichomanes Kaulfussii. 



Mr. George Brebner exhibited some new and rare British Algae, 

 including Haplospora globosa, Tilopteris mertensii, Ectocarpus tomen- 

 tosoides, and Polysiphonia spinulosa v. major. 



Mr. F. Enoch, with the aid of the oxyhydrogen lantern, exhibited the 

 various stages of development of the black-currant mite, Phytopus ribis, and 

 gave an interesting account of its life-history. 



Mr. Thomas Christy exhibited a gigantic reed from the Zambesi, with 

 drawings of sections. It appeared to be allied to Sanseviera cylindrica, but 

 differed conspicuously in the greater size of the leaves, which measured 

 nine feet in length, instead of from eighteen inches to three feet. The 

 remarkably tough and strong fibre which it produces is considered to be of 

 great commercial value, being equal to the best Sanseviera hemp. 



Mr. W. F. Kirby read a paper on the Dragonflies of Ceylon, with 

 descriptions of some new species. The paper was based chiefly upon a 

 collection made by Cel. Yerbury, which he had presented to the British 

 Museum. Seventy-five species were enumerated, of which fifty-five had 

 been collected by Col. Yerbury. Another collection, made in Ceylon by 

 Mr. E. Green, had been dealt with in a previous paper (Proc. Zool. Sou. 

 1891, pp. 203-206). 



On behalf of Signor Martelli, the Secretary read a paper " On the 

 cause of the fall of the corolla in Verbascum," which gave rise to an inte- 

 resting discussion. 



