Cii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



was suggested by Mr. Barron that the creature might have been 

 introduced in the " peat moss " (employed as bedding for horses) 

 used as manure. It appeared to be a species of Tipula. Mr. 

 Blandford undertook to make a further examination. Mr. Morris 

 and Mr. Wilks remarked that the Carnations were much destroyed 

 in a similar manner both at Kew and Shirley. Mr. Henslow 

 remarked upon the wonderfully efficacious effect of gas-lime in 

 destroying wireworms. Thinly spread over the ground and dug 

 in, a plot where previously not a Cabbage could be grown in his 

 garden has borne excellent crops for several years since. 



Gladiolus with UnsymmetricalFlowers. — Mr. Henslow showed 

 a spray in which the two uppermost flowers were normal, the two 

 lower reversed in position, having the stamens and style decimate, 

 while one flower had them situated laterally. The streaked 

 petals corresponded with the positions of the stamens in each 

 case. The tubes did not appear to be twisted in any way. As 

 the style and stigmas were altered in correlation to the stamens, 

 it would probably not affect the fertilisation by insects, the latter 

 being simply dusted with pollen in a different part of the body 

 from usual. Mr. Morris remarked that he had observed similar 

 alterations in the flowers of the Gladiolus at Kew. 



Foliage with Foliaceous Appendages. — Mr. Henslow exhibited 

 specimens (1) of leaves of Acalypha eremurus with narrow wing- 

 like excrescence on the ribs and veins of the upper surface. Dr. 

 Muller has described this peculiarity as a true specific character 

 in this plant. (2) Aristolochia Sipho, with apparent outgrowths 

 on the lower surface. These appeared to be due to cracks in the 

 leaf when young ; a portion of the leaf then protrudes below, 

 when adhesion again takes place. (3) Arum maculatum with a 

 foliaceous appendage at the base of the blade. (4) Several 

 specimens of Cabbage-leaves with wing-like appendages to the 

 ribs, as well as tubular and funnel-like appendages. Mr. Henslow 

 pointed out the similarity between these foliar excrescences and 

 many which occur on petals, especially Gloxinias (exhibited), 

 Primroses, Orchids, and in the "crested" Cyclamen. In all 

 cases they appear to be due to hypertrophy, and are a means of 

 disposing of excess of nutriment, the foliar excrescences being 

 correlated to the chorisis or branching of the fibro-vascular cords. 

 In a monstrous form of Mignonette, described by the late Pro- 

 fessor J. S. Henslow in 1833, the ovules partook of identically the 



