SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, NOVEMBER 27. 



clxxiii 



in flavour very close to Mr. Veitch's example. It is at least possible that 

 these characters attach to Pears crossed with Quince pollen." 



Fungus beneath Beech Bark. — Mr. Druery, V.M.H., showed speci- 

 mens of fungus mycelium taken from beneath the bark of a Beech, and 

 these, with diseased fronds of Todea, were referred to Mr. Massee for 

 further investigation. 



Wheat-ear Carnation, d~c. — From Messrs. J. Peed, of Streatham, came 

 specimens of the Wheat-ear Carnation, and of fasciated and contorted 

 stems of Broom. 



Scientific Committee, November 27, 1907. 



Mr. E. A. Bowles, M.A., F.L.S., in the Chair, with ten members present, 

 and Mr. Gurney Wilson, visitor. 



Hybrid Orchids. — Mr. Chapman showed the result of a cross between 

 Cypripedium insignc Sander -ae and G. callosum Sander ae having coloured 

 flowers. Over one hundred plants of this cross had flowered, and each of 

 them had borne coloured flowers, although the parents were albinos. 

 The cross had been effected both ways with the same result. The two 

 albinos breed true from seed. The flower of the particular specimen 

 exhibited was coloured much in the same way as those of the type forms 

 of the species, and bore great resemblance to C. Leoniae (C. insigne 

 x C. callosum). He also showed a plant with a coloured flower, the 

 result of crossing the albino forms C. callosum Sanderae and G. bellatulum 

 album ; about twenty-five plants of this cross had flowered, and all had 

 borne coloured flowers. A third plant bore a great resemblance to C. insigne 

 Sanderae, and had been raised by crossing that form with C. Leeanum 

 giganteum ( = C. insigne x C. Spicerianum) ; of the offspring of this cross 

 some reverted to the insigne type, but one was much lighter and was 

 crossed again with C. insigne Sanderae, giving C. x San-Actaeus. This 

 was again crossed with C. insigne Sanderae, and the plant under notice 

 was the result. The continued crosses had almost brought back the 

 original C. insigne Sanderae. This form had in its composition, said 

 Mr. Chapman, 14-16 C. insigne Sanderae, 1-16 normal G. insigne, and 

 1-16 C. Spicerianum. 



Orchids and Fungi. — Mr. Gurney Wilson referred to the theory 

 brought forward by Professor Noel Bernard concerning symbiosis between 

 the Orchids and certain fungi (see Genetic Conference Report, p. 392). 

 He, working in conjunction with Dr. Fulton, had not been able to verify 

 the observations Professor Noel Bernard had made. He had recently 

 placed a large number of imported Odontoglossum crispum in contact 

 with some Oak leaves which had been thoroughly dried for some months ; 

 a fungus had certainly developed upon them, but it had turned out to be 

 the common Mushroom, and the mycelium had undoubtedly been on the 

 Oak leaves. 



Saxifraga Cotyledon. — Mr. Saunders, F.L.S., showed from Mr. A. 0. 

 Walker, F.R.H.S., a specimen of this plant in which the flowers had been 

 replaced by terminal rosettes of foliage leaves, somewhat similar to the 

 plant sent some time since by Mr. Jenkins. 



