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taken by him, and it was illustrated by specimens of all the Bristol species, 
with the food plants of the larva, and with a number of microscopic pre- 
parations of the different species. 
CHEMICAL AND PHOTOGRAPHIC SECTION. 
Owing to the unavoidable absence from Bristol of both the members 
who had prepared subjects for the evening, and also of the President, the 
meeting, which should have been held on Wednesday, March 14, was 
postponed for a month. 
BOTANICAL SECTION. 
Thursday, March 15. — Mr. J. W. Clark, in the chair. 
Mr. Yabbicom exhibited a razor-strop formed of a portion of the pith 
of a species of Aloe found in Turkey, the adjacent wood being shaped into 
the form of a handle ; he had been led to suspect, from its possessing this 
sharpening power, that raphides might be present, but from a close 
microscopic examination, this proved not to be the case, though they were 
very abundant in the parenchyma of the leaves of most species of this 
genus. Mr. Yabbicom also showed a portion of bamboo stem, which had 
been buried, and afterwards burnt, similar to that shown by Mr. Stoddart 
at the general meeting of the Society in March, exhibiting a cast of the 
cells of the plant, which, with a lens, was seen to be very complete. 
Though this appearance might be due in a measure to the presence of 
local silica in the plant itself, yet he was of opinion that it was chiefly 
caused by the absorption into the wood of earthy matters, in a state of 
solution, by capillary attraction from the soil in which it had been buried. 
Mr. H. Charbonnier had tried the experiment with bamboo which had not 
been buried, and had failed to produce the same effect. 
The remainder of the evening was spent in mounting specimens for the 
Society's herbarium. 
GEOLOGICAL SECTION. 
Owing to the engagements of the President, Mr. Sanders, who had 
undertaken to read a paper, the meeting, which should have been held on 
Thursday, March 22, was postponed until the following month. 
