-,86 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
" I may add that you are not quite correct 
(towards the close of your paper) in supposing that 
I beHeve that insects directly modify the structure 
of flowers. I only believe that spontaneous varia- 
tions adapted to the structure of certain insects 
flourish and are preserved." 
The paper was read on April 15, 1869, and 
then, as usual, was submitted to the Council to 
decide as to its publication. After full considera- 
tion, their decision was communicated to Spruce 
by the secretary as follows : — 
" I am requested to communicate to you their 
opinion that the paper will require modification 
before they can recommend its publication. It is 
considered that the evidence adduced is insufficient 
to overcome the improbability of the sacs in the 
course of ages having become inherited, and that 
although there would be no objection to a state- 
ment that the author has been led to suspect that 
the structures in question are now inherited (which 
might lead to further investigations), it would be 
inadvisable for the Society to publish positive state- 
ments on the subject of inheritance without much 
fuller evidence. The Council wish me to say that 
if you do not object to alter the title of the paper, 
and to strike out some short passages, marked in 
pencil on the margin, they will be glad to undertake 
the publication of the paper, as they think it highly 
desirable that the facts recorded should be made 
known." 
The paper was returned to him to make the 
alterations required if he wished to do so, but 
nothing more was heard of it, and it has remained 
