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manihot, which in its raw state is highly poisonous, but by pounding and 
repeated washing is rendered edible ; the piece shown was made in Tobago. 
Thursday, November 15th. — Mr. Leipner, President of the 
section,, in the chair. 
With regard to " Pollen," the subject which had been diseussed at 
the last meeting, the President said that it had been remarked that 
plants having star-shaped flowers, generally had pollen marked on the 
the outer membrane with protuberances which gave to the grains a 
star-shaped appearance likewise. From recent experiments it had 
been demonstrated that the previous theory of the pollen tube, viz., 
that it was a simple extension of the inner membrane of the grain 
down which the fovilla passed to fertilize the germ, was erroneous, 
and that this extension of the pollen grain was the result of actual 
growth, being composed of cellular tissue, and that there was no other 
fertilizing agent besides the cell contents. 
A new analysis of the gluten of wheat was noticed. Being formerly 
said to consist of fibrine aud vegetable albumen, it was now separated by 
a French chemist, into Albumen, Fibrin, Casein, Immulcine, and a new 
principle called Glutine. 
Mr. Yabbicom showed a series of Sea-Weeds, taken at Llanduduo* 
North Wales, embracing among others : — 
Gigartina mamillosa. Delesseria hypoglossum. 
Furcellaria fastigiata. Rhodymenia ciliata. 
Chondrus crispus. Griffithsia setacea. 
Plocamium coccineum. Porphyra lactiniata. 
Mr. B. N. Lobb, exhibited a collection of the same class of plants 
gathered at Lyujnouth, North Devon. Among them were : — 
Delesseria sanguineum. Lawrencia pinnatifida. 
Delesseria hypoglossum. Bryopsis plumosa. 
Dictyota dichotoma. Porphyra vulgaris. 
And several species of Ceramium, Polysiphonia, Ectocarpus, and 
Cladophora. 
GEOLOGICAL SECTION. 
Thursday, October 25th. — First evening meeting of the Session, 
Mr. W. Sanders, F.R.S., F.G.S., President of the Section, in the chair. 
There was a good attendance of members, and two new names were 
received of gentlemen wishing to join the section. 
Mr. Ravis exhibited a fine specimen of fossil wood, in which the rings 
of growth, knots, &c, were well preserved. He could not with certainty 
trace the place where it was found, but it was put into his hands as coming 
from Teneriffe, which was, he believed, an island of purely volcanic origin. 
