IP^ROCEEDIlSrGS OP THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION-. 
437 
would also furnish to the physiological botanist the means of observing those oper¬ 
ations of Nature in his study, for which, before, he had been obliged to resort to 
the forest and the plain. As an instance, the author had been enabled to observe 
the rapid growth of a Phallus foetidus^ by merely devoting to it a few hours of 
the night. The writer concluded by suggesting that this mode of preserving tro¬ 
pical productions might be extended from the vegetable to the animal king¬ 
dom. 
Professor Lindley also read a letter from the Messrs. Loddige to Mr. Ward, 
stating that in every case in which his instructions had been attended to, fo¬ 
reign plants had arrived in a state of safety. 
The Rev. J. Yates read a paper on the same subject. The Committee of the 
section of Natural History, wishing to make an experiment, on a large scale, 
which might be exhibited at the meeting of the British Association in Liverpool, 
a green-house, 9 feet by 18 in dimensions, and with a southern aspect, had been 
erected in the yard of the Mechanics" Institute, in Mount-street. It was stocked 
with foreign plants of all kinds, to the number of about 80 species. A list of 
the plants, and observations on their condition and progress, by Mr. Murray, of 
Liverpool, was laid upon the table. The general result of the experiment was, 
that the plants had flourished perfectly well, being in a vigorous and healthy 
state, without any extraordinary growth. Many of them had flowered, and 
Canna and some Ferns had ripened seed. The green-house had no flue, and no 
provision for any artificial heat. It was judged best to construct it without a 
flue, both as least expensive, and for the purpose of trying, by a fair experiment, 
to Vv'-hat extent plants might in this state be kept alive, even during the severity 
of winter, which would certainly die if fresh air were more freiely admitted. It 
was also to be observed, that nothing had been done to prevent tlie^ater from 
escaping through the yellow sandstone rock, on which the green-house was erected, 
and hence it had been necessary to give the plants occasionally a fresh supply of 
water. 
Mr. Gray stated that he had grown Droseras under glass jars: one circum¬ 
stance with regard to them he thought worthy of remark, their leaves did not 
turn red, as is usual when exposed to the atmosphere. Professor Graham observed 
that although in Mr. Ward’s experiments atmospheric air had been admitted, he 
did not think it essential to the vrelfare of the plant. Plants grown in this man¬ 
ner only required a glass large enough to contain a sufficient quantity of air, to 
permit of the. absorption of oxygen without deteriorating the air of the vessel to 
such an extent as to injure the plant. The want of red in the leaves of Drosera^ 
he thought, depended on the presence of moisture. A singular point was, that 
the plants growing naturally in arid soils and climates, flourished in the humid 
No. U, Vol. 11. 3 M 
