I basin. The diatoms having been obtained fresh, might be 
mounted in fluid to exhibit the valves and endochrome, as 
I also their mode of growth ; but to exhibit the surface mark- 
ings it was neces6ary to destroy the vegetable contents, 
either rapidly by charring between two plates of glass over 
a lamp, or better by boiling with nitric acid and washing 
i in distilled water, when nothing w«js left but the siliceous 
valves, which were most suitably mounted in Canada balsam. 
Practical demonstrations were given of the mode of proceed- 
ing, and Mr. Lei pier promised on a future occasion to 
explain the method of mounting the Desmidias. 
Botanical Section, Nov. 17th, Mr. Leipner, president, 
in the chair. Arrangements were made for future micro- 
scopic working meetings, when practical instruction in the 
use of the microscope in its application to botanical investi- 
gations would be given. Mr. Yabbicom exhibited a speci- 
men of Lonicera Xylosteum, found on St. Vincent's Rocks 
last July. He stated that it was an exceedingly rare plant, 
having been hitherto found only in three other places in 
England — Northumberland, Sussex, and Warwickshire. It 
I belonged to tbe natural order Caprifoliacai, the plants of 
which were found in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and 
America, and the specimen shown possessed most of the 
characters of tbe order, but differed from the common 
, Periclymenum by the flowers growing in pairs instead of 
whorls, by having less beauty of color, and none of the 
fragrance which the honeysuckle possessed. Many plants 
of this order had valuable properties, but this example had 
! none, its great rarity being the source of interest, 
i Mr. S. Barton produced the flower and leaf of a species 
of the genus Banksia, or swamp honeysuckle. All the 
species were Australian, and generally shrub-like plants, but 
this species had been seen twenty feet high, with pale yellow\ 
flowers, in dense lateral clusters, and scanty foliage. The 
timber was too brittle for use, but it was suggested in the 
discussion that this defect might be modified by the proper 
use of soil in cultivation. 
The remainder of the evening was spent in examining 
such mosses as could be found in fruit, as Hypnum, Bryum 
ciaespiiicum, Tortula muralis, and Funaria hygrometrica. 
The president stated that several good stations for mosses 
in the district had not yet been well worked, and that there 
< were several genera as yet incomplete, as Phascum, Gym- 
nostromum, and Orthotrichum, and also that several very 
common mosses had not yet been found in fructification. 
Sectional Secretaries. 
WM. LANT CARPENTER, 
Honorary Reporting Secretary. 
