SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, FEBRUARY 12. 



xxix 



spite of the profusion of pollen that is formed. -This rarity he attributed 

 to the fact that, in the Old World at least, the forests consist mainly of 

 one species. Allusion was then made to the various hybrids in the genus 

 Pinus described by Beck, Wettstein, Mayr, and others, and to the so-called 

 hybrid between Juniperiis nana and /. communis, in reference to which 

 Dr. Masters showed specimens of both forms taken from the same bush. 

 Biota meldeiisis, a supposed hybrid, is only a transitory stage of Thuya 

 orientalis. The only two artificially produced hybrids known are one 

 raised by M. Croux between Ahies Pinsapo ^ and .4. Norchnanniana ?, 

 ^lnd another raised by the late M. Henri de Vilmorin h^iv^QQia. Abies cepha- 

 lonica ^ and A. Pinsapo ? . Specimens of these hylDrids, by the courtesy 

 of M. Croux and of M. P. de Vilmorin, were shown. M. de Vilmorin's 

 hybrid Abies had produced cones, two of which were exhibited, together 

 with those of the parent plants. Last year a single fertile seed was 

 obtained, whose progress will be watched with the deepest interests 

 l^etails relating to the external features and internal anatomy of these 

 hybrids are given at length in the paper, which will be found on page 97. 



Snoivdrops Diseased. — Mr. H. Lewis Jones, Wimpole Street, sent 

 some specimens of Galanthus Elivesii, with the following note : — " They 

 were planted for three years. A top-dressing of manure was put over 

 them in autumn. There was nothing wrong until this year, when a large 

 number came up healthy, but the later members (about half of 500 in all) 

 came up slowly, were yellowish later, and proved to be diseased. It seems 

 to be spreading in both of my beds of bulbs. They are at the foot of a 

 wall, with an easterly aspect. The soil is light, with a chalky subsoil." 

 Professor Farmer undertook to investigate the nature of the disease, and 

 specimens were also sent to Dr. W. G. Smith. 



Cypripedium Malformed— O'Brien, V.M.H., exhibited a dimerous 

 flower of C. insigne, and a pale yellow-green leaf from the same plant. 

 He remarked that these two features had been constant on one and the 

 same plant for three or four years. Though both peculiarities are not un- 

 common, it was unusual to find them on the same individual. 



Galanthus species. — Mr. Elwes, F.R.S., showed flowers and foliage of 

 G. Elwesii and the so-named G. WhittaUi, pointing out that the latter is 

 only a local variety of the former, with somewhat broader leaves and 

 sepals, there being also a slight difference in the green colouring of the 

 petals. He observed that G. Elwesii is a great seeder, and apparently 

 in consequence fails to produce bulbils for propagation ; such is also Mr. 

 Burr's experience. 



Mistleto, cars. — Mr. Burbidge, M.A., V.M.H., sent several varieties 

 from the Botanical Gardens of Trinity College, Dublin, with the following 

 observations : — " I send five varieties of Viscnm album, all, as I think you 

 will see, slightly difterent in habit, size of leaf. Sec, as also in earliness or 

 time of flowering. You will observe that in all cases but one the male 

 plants have larger leaves than the females. Another point is peculiar 

 about Yiscum and its time of flowering — viz., the males in all cases flower 

 a week or more earlier, or before the females, as is also the case in Auvuba 

 japonica and some other dioecious plants. The male Viscum has foliage 

 of a brighter green, while the females have leaves of a deeper and more 

 sombre or sap-green colour. Amongst the female or fruiting plants of 



