SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 277 



The Linnean Society's Gold Medal for the year 1891 was then formally 

 awarded to Dr. Edouard Bornet, of Paris, for his researches in Botany, 

 and, on his behalf, was presented to M. Raymond Lecomte, Secretary to 

 the French Embassy. 



The proceedings then terminated. 



June 4.— Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair. 



The following were elected Fellows : — Messrs. W. Somerville, H. S. 

 Fergusson, W. F. Weldon, A. 0. Jones, and L. A. Waddell. 



After nominating as Vice-Presidents, Mr. A. W. Bennett, Dr. Braith- 

 waite, Mr. F. Crisp, and Dr. St. G. Mivart, the President took occasion 

 to refer to the loss which the Society had sustained by the recent death of 

 a Vice-President, Prof. P. Martin Duncan, F.R.S. His genial presence at 

 the meetings, no less than his valued contributions to the publications of 

 the Society, would, he felt sure, be missed by everyone. 



Sir Walter Sendall, who was present as a visitor, exhibited a curious 

 cocoon of a moth belonging to the genus Tinea, and made some remarks on 

 its construction and peculiar coloration. 



The President exhibited a case of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera which 

 he had selected to illustrate some of the more notable secondary sexual 

 characters in insects, and made some interesting explanatory observations. 



Dr. John Lowe exhibited some eggs of Mantis religiosa, which he 

 had found adhering to the under-sides of stones on mountain-sides in the 

 Riviera. 



On behalf of Mr. J. Hanbury, Mr. W. H. Beeby exhibited and made 

 remarks on a sterile form of Ranunculus acris, on which some criticism 

 was offered by Prof. H. Marshall Ward. 



A paper by Mr. M. C. Potter was read on diseases of the leaf of the 

 cocoa-nut tree. The specimens examined had been received from Ceylon, 

 through Dr. Trimen, and in Mr. Potter's opinion the diseases noticed were' 

 referable to three causes, namely, to the rays of the sun, to the ravages of 

 insects, and to Fungi. These were separately considered, and descriptions 

 were given of the different appearance which the leaves, thus variously 

 affected, presented. A discussion followed, in which Prof. H. Marshall 

 Ward criticised in some detail the observations which had reference chiefly 

 to Fungi. Two papers followed, by Dr. P. H. Carpenter, on some Arctic 

 Comatula, and on some Crinoidea from Madeira, upon which Mr. W. Percy 

 Sladen offered critical remarks. 



The President then gave an abstract of a paper which he had prepared 

 on a hermaphrodite Mackerel, and exhibited the specimeu on which his 

 observations were founded, referring also to the recent cases of hermaphro- 

 ditism in the Trout and Cod, which had been brought to the notice of the 

 Society. A commentary by Prof. G. B. Howes brought the proceedings 

 to a close, 



