SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, MAY 3. 



xxxix 



Wood Anemones, Dog's Mercury, &c, in a wood. The Wood Anemones 

 were also frequently pink, especially on the outside. The soil is green 

 sand, and contains, I believe, both iron and magnesia." 



Rhododendrons. — ' Glory of Penjerrick,' a very handsome flower, 

 shown by Mr. Robert Fox ; a miscellaneous collection of Sikkim species, 

 by Mr. Graham Vivian ; and both rose and white trusses from the same 

 tree of Rhododendron Falconeri, by Mr. J. M. Rogers, of Sevenoaks. He 

 observes : — " Of late years the buds have been getting less and less white." 

 The Rev. W. Wilks remarked that it was not at all uncommon with this 

 species to produce very differently coloured flowers. Dr. Masters observed 

 that R. ciliatum was originally figured by Sir J. D. Hooker as Lilac ; 

 but cultivated plants of to-day always bore white flowers. 



Cedars at Chelsea. — Dr. Masters showed an old lithograph of two of 

 the original Cedars in the Physic Garden. They were planted in 1688, 

 when three feet high ; the last of them has recently been removed. 



Injury to Roses by the Use of the French Secateurs. — Mr. Hud- 

 son, V.M.H., showed a number of shoots pruned with this instrument, 

 and all had died in consequence. It appears that it makes a horizontal 

 cut, and the pith shrinking water fills the cup, decays the pith, and the 

 adjacent shoot is killed. Mr. Hudson adds that he has abandoned its use 

 and returned to the knife, making a slanting section. Mr. Baker added 

 that it was most important that the instrument used, whatever it may be, 

 should be perfectly sharp, as blunt ones injured the stems. Mr. Lynch 

 also added that he had abandoned the use of the secateur at Cambridge 

 for the same reason. 



Scientific Committee, May 3, 1904. 

 Dr. Masters, F.R.S., in the Chair, and twelve members present. 



Rockets attached by Insects. — Mr. Saunders, F.L.S., reported upon 

 plants sent by Mr. Holmes : — " The Rockets are attacked by the caterpillar 

 of a small moth, one of the Tineina, probably Plutella porrectella, which 

 Stainton says is a quiet garden insect, always to be found amongst 

 Hesperis matronalis. The moth measures rather more than half an inch 

 across the wings when they are fully expanded ; the wings are whitish 

 streaked with brownish-yellow." 



Arabis albida proliferous. — Mr. Chittenden showed sprays illustrating 

 this form of " doubling " in which the calyx and corolla only are repeated 

 on an elongated axis. It was mentioned that such occurred also in 

 Ranunculus amplexicauUs, Helianthemum sp., the ' Harpur-Crewe ' yellow 

 Wallflower, Mr. Balchin's Mignonette, &c. 



Capsicum without Rungency. — Mr. Holmes, F.L.S., exhibited a de- 

 pressed globular form of fruit from Spain, the usual form being oblong : 

 though possessing the scent of Cayenne pepper it has none of the 

 pungency. It is the Pabrika of the Hungarians. 



Bulbophyllum saurocephalum. — Mr. Odell showed a spike of this 

 remarkable Orchid ; the flower-stem is very thick, fleshy, and purple, 

 carrying small sessile flowers. 



Osmanthus ilicifolia dimorphic. — Dr. Masters showed a branch 



