SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
425 
instances of the application of the selection of varieties to agriculture came 
before the British Association at Exeter. Mr. Hallett of Brighton succeeded 
by this method in obtaining a grain of wheat which, when sown, produced 
a whole multitude of stalks, each of which bore a magnificent ear, well 
filled with grain. He finds that this quality is maintained by the descendant 
seeds, and hence he has succeeded in increasing our produce many hundred- 
fold at least. He laid down the following propositions as the result of his 
observations : “ 1. Every fully-developed plant, whether of wheat, oats, or 
barley, presents an ear superior in productive power to any of the rest on 
that plant. 2. Every such plant contains one grain which, upon trial, 
proves more productive than any other. 3. The best grain in a given plant 
is found in its best ear. 4. The superior vigour of this grain is transmissible 
in different degrees to its progeny. 5. By repeated careful ‘ selection ’ the 
superiority is accumulated. 6. The improvement which is first raised 
gradually, after a long series of years is diminished in amount, and eventu- 
ally so far arrested that, practically speaking, a limit to improvement in the 
desired quality is reached. 7. By still continuing to select, the improvement 
is maintained, and practically a fixed type is the result.” 
The Relative Value of the Characters of Plants employed in classification . — 
Dr. Maxwell T. Masters had a paper on this important question in the 
Biological Section at Exeter. The paper was devoted to the consideration 
of some of the means employed by botanists in elaborating the natural ” 
systems of classification, and to the estimation of the relative value to be 
attached to these means. The characters treated of were the following: 
1. Characters derived from the relative frequency of occurrence of a parti- 
cular form, or a particular arrangement of organs. 2. Developmental 
characters, whether congenital ” or “ acquired.” 3, Teratological charac- 
ters. 4. Rudimentary characters. 5. Special physiological characters. 
6. Characters dependent on geographical distribution. Illustrations were 
given in explanation of these matters, and for the purpose of showing their 
applicability to particular cases. 
The Leaf Beds of Hampshire. — The report of the committee appointed to 
investigate the leaf-beds of the Lower Bagshot Series of the Hampshire 
basin was presented to the British Association at Exeter, and will appear 
in the annual volume. The report was made by Mr. W. S. Mitchell, who 
stated during the past year attention had been drawn to another collection 
of plants from Alum Bay. It confirmed the view that the forms so abundant 
on the mainland were wanting here. Aralias, Di'yandras, Cussonias, I)al~ 
hergias, &c., had turned up in great abundance, as well as Cinnamon plants. 
Mr. Mitchell stated that he had carefully compared these with the cinna- 
mons in the herbarium of the British Museum and at Kew, and, although 
at first they seemed to have points in common with some other plants, he 
was fully convinced they were true cinnamons. He pointed out the disad- 
vantage of having but few leaves in an herbarium for comparison, and said 
the determination could not be considered final with regard to any of the 
leaves until the figures of them had been accepted by our colonial 
botanists, in comparison with living plants. Some attention had been paid 
to Whitecliff Bay, which gives promise of a richer harvest, if a longer 
time can be devoted to that locality, so as to get into the cliff beyond the 
