SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 15? 



had been made on various trees to test their rate of growth under different 

 conditions of weather and temperature, but that the results varied to such 

 an extent as to afford no basis for sound conclusions. 



Mr. A. B. Rendle exhibited the fruit of Melocanna bambusoides from 

 the Mauritius, where it had been introduced, and gave some account of 

 its structure and mode of growth, referring to the figure of it given by 

 Roxburgh, in his ' Plants of the Coast of Coromandel' (pi. 243), under the 

 name Bambusa baccifera. 



Mr. C. B. Clarke gave the substance of a paper " On certain authentic 

 Cyperacece of Linnaeus," describing the results of his examination of the 

 type specimens in the Linnean Herbarium, with suggestions for some 

 rectifications in the nomenclature. Referring incidentally to the history 

 of this Herbarium, he regretted the additions which had been made to it 

 since the death of Linnaeus, and the introduction of plants which Linnaeus 

 had never seen. In the discussion which followed, Mr. Carruthers and 

 Mr. Daydon Jackson explained under what circumstances these additions 

 had been made, and showed that it was antecedent to the collection coming 

 into the possession of the Society, since which time no alteration in its 

 condition had taken place. 



Mr. George Brebner read a paper " On the development of the mucilage- 

 canals of the Marattiacea" in which, with the aid of some excellent lantern- 

 slides, he showed that these canals are schizogenous intercellular spaces 

 arising from the separation of cells, and are lined by a persistent epithelium* 

 The secretion is thus the product of the activity of the living cells, and 

 not the result of cell-degradation. An interesting discussion followed, in 

 which Dr. D. H. Scott, Prof. Reynolds Green, and others took part. 



Zoological Society of London. 



Feb. 29^.— Prof. G. B. Howes, F.Z.S., in the chair. 



A report was read, drawn up by Mr. A. Thomson, the Society's Head- 

 Keeper, on the insects bred in the Iusect House during the season of 1893. 

 Examples of 17 species of Bombyces, 29 of Diurnal Lepidoptera, and 24 of 

 Nocturnal Lepidoptera had been exhibited during the past season, of which 

 many had not been shown in former years. Amongst these were specimens 

 of the fine insect Actias mimosa, from S.E. Africa, hatched from cocoons 

 by the Rev. H. A. Junod. 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas called attention to the skin of a Giraffe from 

 Somaliland, sent for exhibition by Mr. Rowland Ward, and pointed out its 

 difference from the South-African Giraffe. 



A communication was read from Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, giving particulars 

 of the methods used in preparing specimens of certain Invertebrates for 

 public exhibition employed in the U.S. National Museum. 



