MEETINGS. 113 



Stellar i a. Formerly it was included in the first, recently it 

 has been placed in the latter ; the change indicates its affinities 

 with both. Stellaria is a glabrous genus; in Cerastium, 

 although, as a rule, pubescent and sometimes viscid, the 

 species are rarely glandular. S. aquatica, although not rare, 

 is a very local and by no means common plant. 



It may be at some former period under conditions 

 of greater warmth and humidity, and consequent greater 

 plenty of insect life, that our plants generally may have been 

 much more insectivorous in habit than they are now, and 

 that in S. aquatica and other similar forms, the glandular 

 hairs may be but the remains aborted from disuse of more 

 highly specialised organs. This, however, is but a speculation, 

 and only by long and patient investigation can we hope to 

 know their real origin. 



Evolution must be local as well as general. Given certain 

 conditions in any given area, the same effects should result 

 from changes in those conditions (however local the change 

 may be) as would result were those conditions general 

 throughout the world. The study of organisms locally must 

 therefore present a convenient means of attaining a better 

 knowledge of the workings of evolution through change of 

 environment, and for this purpose our common wild plants 

 seem to offer from their frequent occurrence and fixity of 

 position, greater facilities for study and observation than 

 do the various divisions of the animal kingdom or the minute 

 forms and organs of the Cryptogamia. 



Mr. Nicolle and Mr. Boyle were heartily thanked for their 

 interesting and suggestive papers. 



Monthly Meeting held on June 9th, 1891, Mr. J. Whitehead, 

 President, in the chair. 



The President exhibited four volumes of Algae, and a 

 number of specimens of Polyzoa, recently presented to the 

 Museum by Miss Gore, of Brighton, through Mrs. St. John 

 Gore, of this island. Mr. T. C. Boyle exhibited a new British 

 Moss (Cinclidotus riparius), found last year by Mr. Weyman 

 in the river Teme, near Ludlow. Mr. Marquand gave some 

 interesting information respecting it. Mr. C. De La Mare 

 exhibited a specimen of a plastic blue clay from Delancey. 

 Mr. E. D. Marquand exhibited specimens of two beetles, 

 recently captured by him, viz., Cleonus sulcirostris, taken 

 at Bonceval, and Copris lunaris, taken at Torteval. Mr. Luff 

 mentioned that he had taken both species at different times, 



