cxl PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Parsnip diseased. — Mr. Eeid of Ealing forwarded a portion 
of a Turnip-rooted Parsnip, with purple interior, apparently due 
to some fungus. 
Scientific Committee, November 12, 1895. 
Dr. M. T. Masters in the Chair, and five members present. 
Death of Professor Riley. — Mr. McLachlan spoke of the 
great loss sustained by the death of this eminent entomologist 
of the Museum of Natural History, Washington. He was th& 
State Entomologist of the Agricultural Department, Washington, 
and formerly for that of Missouri. 
Hybrid Asters. — With reference to the specimens sent to the 
last meeting by Eev. C. W. Dod, Mr. Dewar reports as follows : — 
** Although not quite prepared to agree with him, neither am I 
disposed to materially differ from his suppositions. The chief 
difference was one of colour ; the flowers of the supposed 
hybrids are undoubtedly somewhat larger than I have before 
seen ; the colour, however, is quite distinct from that of typical 
A. Thomsoni. The cross between A. Thomsoni and A> 
pyrena3us (?) is in every respect, except its large flowers, typical 
A. Thomsoni. The other cross (?) differs little except in colour 
of flower from seedlings. A. Thomsoni is a very variable 
species, becoming of course considerably more so by cultivation."" 
Mr. Dod having kindly forwarded fruiting specimens of A. 
Thomsoni {Clarke) and of the hybrid to the Secretary, he foun(3 
that they differed as follows : — The leaves selected from similar 
places were much larger and broader in the former, with more 
serratures ; the hairs on the stem were shorter, but the involucra! 
bracts were less hairy, the tips being nearly glabrous. The 
pappus was markedly shorter than that of the liybrid ; a few 
bore ripe achenes. In the liybrid several of the ray florets 
were bisexual with perfectly free stamens, the anthers being 
more or less rudimentary ; a few of the ray corollas were of the 
quilled form. All the ovaries, disk and ray, were abortive. The 
above characters might bo varietal only, but the presence of 
stamens, kc, perhaps indicates the effect of crossing. 
Fumjvs on Pears. — With reference to the specimens receivocl 
from Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter, at the last meeting, the follow- 
