262 
There is not sufficient detail either in the description or 
the drawings to be of much use to the microscopist, but 
further information has been written for. 
Mr. Brothers presented to the Section photographs of 
the four drawings by Dr. Alcock, illustrating his Paper on 
the Tongues of the Mollusca. 
Mr. Sidebotham exhibited a drawing of an undescribed 
species of Zygnema, found by Mr. Watson and himself, at 
Southport, in brackish water. It exhibited no appearance 
of conjugation, and the spores were like balls covered with 
spines, which when released from the cells move rapidly 
through the water like volvox. 
Mr. Mosley reported upon the specimen of the outer 
coating of a bulb, received through Dr. Fairbairn from Mr. 
Niven, of Jeffrey’s Bay, Cape of Good Hope. 
On examination with the microscope, he found that the 
leaf is about too of an inch in thickness ; that between the 
outer and the inner cuticle a number of tubes or vessels run 
longitudinally through the structure of the leaf ; and that 
these tubes are composed of very delicate fibres, coiled up so 
as to form spiral vessels. On breaking the leaf, the fibres 
may be uncoiled and drawn out to an almost indefinite ex- 
tent. From the thicker middle portion Mr. Mosley had 
drawn out fibres to the extent of 18 to 20 inches without 
breaking ; they are beautifully fine, but are in his opinion 
too weak and delicate, as well as too long, to be used as a 
substitute for cotton. He considers it possible some applica- 
tion may be found for the fibre if a sufficient sample were 
sent for experimental trials. Desirous of knowing flic 
botanical history of the plant, lie wrote to Sir W . J. Hooker, 
director of the lloyal Gardens at Kew ; but it was not 
possible to classify the plant with certainty from a specimen 
