Miscellaneous. 373 



Section D. Zoology and Botany. 



President, — W. Shavpe Macleay, F. L, S. 

 Vice-Presidents, — Dr Richardson, Professor Graham, Professor 



Lindley. 

 Secretaries, — C. G. Babington, W. Swainson, Rev. L. Jenyns. 

 Members of Committee, — Thomas Hincks ; N. A. Vigors ; Rev. F. 

 W. Hope ; Pat. Neill ; Professor J. S. Henslow ; Professor T. S 

 Traill ; Earl of Derby ; Rev. W. Hincks ; John Curtis ; P. B. Dun- 

 can ; J. E. Gray ; Charles S. Parker ; Rev. J. Yates ; J. E. Bow- 

 man ; T. Eyton ; J. P. Selby ; C. Horsfall ; R. Ball ; S. W. Dill- 

 wyn ; J. N. Walker; A. H. Haliday ; J. T. Mackay ; Captain 

 James Ross ; Sir W. Jardine ; R. Harrison ; Mr Tinney ; H. Sand- 

 bach ; J. Salisbury; Mr Green; Dr Duncan; F. Archer; G. 

 Cook. 



Monday, September \\ik. 



The chair being taken about eleven o'clock, the business of this sec- 

 tion was commenced by Dr Traill, (Professor of Medical Jurispru- 

 dence, Edinburgh,) exhibiting specimens of the Argas persicus, the 

 poisonous bug of the Mianneh of Persia, and making some short 

 verbal remarks regarding it. The bite was said to create a fever si- 

 milar to that of typhus, and it was considered fatal to sleep in some 

 of the villages near which it abounded. Mr Macleay considered 

 that the specimens exhibited were not true insects, but belonged to 

 the family of the Arachnoidese, and that among them there were two 

 genera, Argas and Ixodes. He also did not consider the bite so fatal 

 as stated by Dr Traill, but thought the inflammation might be produ- 

 ced by the serrated rostrum remaining in the puncture ; and remark- 

 ed that, in the Island of Cuba, there existed another poisonous insect 

 belonging to a similar family, which attacks the horses, producing great 

 .pain and irritation, but he added, that the horses thus attacked 

 were always considered to be those in best health and condition. Dr 

 Traill persisted in his opinion. 



Mr Gray exhibited drawings of a new water lily, sent from British 

 Guiana by Dr Schomburgh. He remarked, that this splendid plant 

 would form a new genus, with characters intermediate between Nym- 

 phea and Euryale, and proposed to name it Victoria regina. It was 

 found growing in the river Berbice. The flowers are sweet-scented, 

 the outer petals white, but changing to pink as they expand, and 

 when fully opened showing a flower of from 15 to 18 inches in dia- 



VOL. II. NO. 10. B b 



