SCIENriFIC COMMITTEE, DECEMBER 17. 



ccxxi 



markedly aposporous, the fimbriations terminating in aerial prothalli, 

 without being layered. This form is undoubtedly the most beautiful type 

 yet developed in the species, being finely frilled, prettily crested, and 

 curved sinuously in the plane bf the frond. (Figs. 84G and 353.) 



Pittcsporum coriaceum. — Dr. Masters showed fruiting sprays of this 

 New Zealand shrub, bearing grey, two-lobed berries, full of black, shiny 

 seeds. It is a hardy evergreen. 



Cephalotaxus. - Dr. Masters also showed a tufted bough of C. drupacea. 

 It was probably caused by the attack of some insect. 



MendeVs Law. — Capt. C. Hurst sent the following communication 

 upon the application of Mendel's law to " intermediate " hybrid characters : 

 " Mendel's law of the dissociation of hybrid characters according to the 

 simple formula A + 2Aa + a was enunciated in 1865, but it was not until 

 a short time ago that the law was confirmed and re-established by the 

 experiments and researches of Prof. Hugo de Vries, Correns, Tschermak, 

 and Webber. In addition to the above, we have been favoured with an 

 admirable translation and exposition of Mendel's work in the Journal of 

 the Society by Mr. W. Bateson, F.R.S. Hitherto Mendel's law seems to 

 have been applied to ' discontinuous ' hybrids only, and not at all to the 

 more numerous class known as ' intermediate ' hybrids. Having for 

 some years past made a special study of Orchid hybrids (which belong for 

 the most part to the ' intermediate ' class), I thought that it might 

 perhaps be of interest to ascertain whether Mendel's law held good in 

 regard to them. A careful analysis of the inheritance of some 3,500 

 pairs of specific characters was therefore made in the following genera, 

 viz., Cattleya, Lcslia, Lczlio-Cattleya, Cymhidium, Dendrobiuvi, Odonto- 

 glossum, Miltmiia, Sobralia, Zygopetalum, Paphiopedilum (Cypripedium), 

 and Phragmipedilum {Selenipedium) . These experiments show that, 

 with certain modifications, Mendel's law appears to hold good for * inter- 

 mediate ' hybrid characters, as well itS for ' discontinuous ' ones, with the 

 further advantage that the law can be applied to primary hybrids as well 

 as to secondary ones, and to cross-breeding generally, as well as to in- 

 breeding by self -fertilisation. I hope to publish a detailed account of 

 these observations in the Journal of the Society at an early date. Should 

 these results be confirmed, the present scope and value of Mendel's law 

 will be considerably extended, and we shall be getting a little nearer 

 towards the solution of some of the problems of heredity." 



Scientific Committee, December 17, 1901. 

 Mr. G. S. Saunders in the Chair, and eight members present. 



Wood attacked by Bees. — Alluding to a specimen shown at the last 

 meeting, Mr. Saunders said : — " There was some wood shown at the last 

 Scientific Committee meeting, which was unquestionably attacked by the 

 caterpillar of the goat-moth, Cossus ligniperda ; but there was also 

 a piece of soft wood, probably Willow, which I find on examination was 

 not attacked by any caterpillar, but by one of the wood-boring bees, 

 probably Crabro cephalotes or C. chrysostomus. Each nest was partially 



