SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 431 



The Rev. E. S. Marshall exhibited some hybrid willows from Central 

 Scotland, believed to be rare or new to Britain. 



Mr. G. N. Douglass exhibited the train of a Peahen which had assumed 

 the male plumage. The bird, which was reared at the Castle Farm, 

 Tilquhillie, near Banchory, N.B., was believed to be about thirty years old 

 at the time of its death, and for some years previously had not laid any 

 eggs. In the opinion of the exhibiter and others present, the phenomenon 

 was correlated with disease of the ovaries. Similar cases had occurred with 

 fowls, pheasants, and black-game, but not, so far as was known, with Peafowl, 



Mr. C. T. Druery exhibited some new examples of apospory in Ferns, 

 namely, a specimen of Athyrium fdix-fcemina var. clarissima, with pinnae 

 showing development of prothalli by soral apospori, and a seedling Lastrea 

 pseudornas-cristata, showing prothalli developed aposporously over general 

 surface of frond (pan-apospory). 



Mr. J. E. Harting exhibited some live specimens of the Short-tailed 

 Field Vole, Arvicola agrestis, and gave an account, from personal inspection, 

 of the serious damage done by this little rodent upon the sheep- pastures in 

 the lowlands of Scotland. 



Mr. A. B. Rendle exhibited some seedling plants of the Sugar-cane 

 which had been raised in this country by Mr. Veitch. 



The discussion on several of these exhibitions having continued until a 

 late hour, a paper by Prof. Henslow, " On a theoretical origin of Eudogens 

 through an aquatic habit," was by consent adjourned to the next meeting 

 of the Society. 



Nov. 17. — Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair. 



Mr. F. W. Leslie was elected, and Mr. F. J. Clark was admitted, a 

 Fellow of the Society. 



The President having announced a proposal by the Council to present 

 a congratulatory address to the Rev. Leonard Blomefield (formerly Jenyns), 

 M.A., F.L.S., on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary af his election 

 as a Fellow of the Society, and in recognition of his continuous and useful 

 labours as a zoologist, it was moved by Sir Wm. Flower and seconded by 

 Dr. St. George Mivart, that the address be signed and forwarded as proposed. 

 This was carried unanimously. In moving the resolution, Sir Wm. Flower 

 took occasion to sketch the scientific career of Mr. Blomefield, who is 

 now in his ninety-third year, and to recapitulate the works and memoirs of 

 which he is the author, under his earlier and better-known name of Jenyns. 

 The address, which was beautifully illuminated on vellum, was then signed 

 by those present. 



Mr. George Murray then exhibited and made remarks upon a genus of 

 Algae (Halicystis) new to Britain, the species shown being H. ventricosa 

 from the West Indies, and H. ovalis from the Clyde sea area. 



