ckx PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and the question arose whether it had not reached Japan frcm the Cape, 

 or whether those early botanists had confounded it with Lycoris. 



Hcrbcrtia pitlchella, Bulbs. — Mr. Worsley also showed specimens of 

 bulbs of this plant with long brown scales, within which the bulb had 

 grown downwards some inch or two, but without the aid of contractile 

 roots. 



Woods, Photos of. — Dr. Russell showed several remarkable photo- 

 graphs of sections of wcods, taken by the action of the wood itself on a 

 photograph plate in the dark. The spring (active) and the autumn wood 

 (inactive) appeared as black and white concentric circles. The action is 

 due to the presence of resinous matter, which gives rise to peroxide of 

 hydrcgen. In the autumn woods resin is present but cannot escape. 

 It is remarkable that in the Larch, Cedar, and Deodar, the action of the 

 spring and autumn layers is reversed (see " Proceedings of the Royal 

 Society," vol. lxxiv.). 



Laburnum Moth. — Mr. F. Townsend, F.L.S., sent specimens of small 

 caterpillars caught descending by a silken filament from Laburnum trees 

 in his garden at Honington Hall. Mr. Saunders reported as follows : — 

 " The leaves of the Laburnum are attacked by the caterpillars of the 

 ' Laburnum Moth ' (Cemiostoma laburnclla), one of the Tincina. The 

 moths are most charming little insects, measuring rather more than a 

 quarter of an inch across the wings when expanded. Their bodies are 

 pearly grey, with a white spot on either side of each segment. The wings 

 are silvery-white, with long fringes ; the upper pair have yellow bands and 

 a darker spot near their tips. There are two broods of this insect in the 

 course of the season. The moths appear in May or June ; they may be 

 shaken out of the trees into a butterfiy-net. The leaves which are infested 

 should be gathered and burnt if pcssible. It is very essential to destroy 

 the first brood so as to prevent the trees being attacked by the second. 

 The chrysalides are formed either in the ground or on grass or ether 

 plants growing beneath the trees. The caterpillars all seem to come to 

 maturity at .the same time, for I have on more than one occasion seen 

 them hanging in the air by hundreds. When this is the case they may 

 easily be caught on newly painted cr tarred boards, cr by the aid of a 

 birch broom." 



Scientific Committee, November 1, 1904. 

 Dr. M. T. Masters, F.R.S., in the Chair, and nine members present. 



No- me, Hybrids. — Mr. Worsley brought interesting specimens cf 

 hybrid varieties raised by himself. 



Hippeastrum, Hybrid. — Mr. Worsley also showed the result of a cross 

 between H. aulioum S and if. equestre <?. It was strictly intermediate. 

 Also a hybrid between H. aulicum $ and H. vittatum <?. 



Pears, crossed and self-fertilised.— Mt. Chittenden showed drawings 

 illustrating the results on ' Durondeau.' The Pears had nearly the same 

 mean size, with the exception that the width across the upper part was 

 on the average of 2\ inches in the self-pollinated and 2§- inches in that 

 of the crossed. With regard to the optimum temperature required for 



