Mar., 1889 . 
REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 
69 
To the student interested in geographical botany, this work will 
present many features of great value, and will enable him more fully 
to appreciate the hypothesis, with regard to the spread of plants, so 
ably enunciated by Sir J. D. Hooker, in his classical “ Outlines of the 
Distribution of Arctic Plants,” published in “The Transactions of the 
Linnean Society, Vol. XXIII., page 251. 
The number of Endogens recorded as occuring in the Dominion is 
717 species, and of these 170 are natives also of Great Britain or 
Ireland; many of these being our rarest northern and alpine plants, 
but some of them are the more familar plants of our woods, pastures, 
and wavsides, so that the British botanist who visits Canada will, 
amidst much that is strange, now and again have his eyes gladdened 
by the presence of an old and familiar friend. The total number of 
Phanerogams recorded from the Dominion of Canada is 2,955, of these 
2,208 are Exogens, and 747 Endogens. 
The volume throughout bears evidences of careful work, close 
investigation, and unremitting industry ; and the greatest care appears 
to have been used in discriminating the alien and casual plants 
from those that are truly native. 
Two more parts will bring the work to a close, and as these will 
contain the Cryptogams their appearance will be looked forward to 
with much interest. Already over 2,000 species of named Cryptogams 
are now in the herbarium, and Prof. Macoun anticipates that this 
number will be increased to at least 2,500 species before the issue of 
the next two parts. Part Y. will contain the ferns and their allies, 
with the mosses and liverworts, and it is intended in Part YI. to 
catalogue the lichens, fungi, and seaweeds. 
The work is printed in bold type and on good paper, and when 
completed will form one of the most valuable and interesting of the 
American floras. J. E. Bagnall. 
lejiorts of Soficttfs. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY. —Supplementary Meeting, Dec. 20. Mr. W. R. Hughes in 
the chair; twelve members present. Mr. Hughes gave a sketch of the 
history of the section. Mr. Browett gave his exposition of the ninth 
chapter of Mr. Herbert Spencer’s “First Principles,” entitled “The 
Direction of Motion.” An interesting and animated discussion followed. 
—Biological Section, January 8th. Present fifty members and friends. 
Mr. E. Catchpool, B.Sc., of Sheffield, read a remarkable paper on the 
“ Flight of Birds and Insects.” an abstract of which will appear in the 
next number. The paper was illustrated by excellent but simple models, 
by which each point of Mr. Catclipool’s argument was demonstrated 
in turn. —Sociological Section, Supplementary Meeting, January 10th. 
Mr. W. R. Hughes, F.L.S., in the chair. Mr. Stone exhibited a series 
of tail feathers from the common peacock, showing a gradual transition 
from the perfectly-formed, characteristic eye, to an almost bare shaft 
having only a few laminae remaining, and these entirely confined to 
one side. Mrs. Browett gave her exposition of the tenth chapter of 
Herbert Spencer’s “First Principles,” entitled, “The Rhythm of 
Motion.” Eleven members present. —Sociological Section, Jan. 22nd. 
Four new members were elected. Mr. E. H. Wagstaff exhibited the 
head of Attus aurora , a very rare spider, from Penang, showing the 
