102 
REPORT — 1854. 
On some New Mosses, and on recent Additions to the Muscology of Liverpool 
By F. P. Marratt. 
On the Arrangement of the Air Canals in the Nymphaacees (the Water Lilies). 
By Maxwell T. Masters, Lecturer on Botany in St. George's Hospital. 
As the result of bis examination of the air canals in tho leaf-stalks and flower- 
stalks of various species of Nymphn.*aceip,IVlr. Masters divided them into three principal 
groups, as follows:—1. Where the arrangement of the air canals is similar in petiole 
and peduncle, there being four central canals, surrounded by smaller tubes. L'nder 
this group he included Nympha-n odorata, minor, alba, nitida, and yijjnirn~ ^\ 
which belong to tho section Castalia. 2. Where with an arrangement of the petiolar 
air tubes similar to that just mentioned in the first group, there is n concentric 
arrangement of the peduncular air tubes, there being a number of largo canal* placed 
around the central axis of the flower-stalk, and encircled by one or more rows 
smaller tubes, each row containing, however, twice as many tubes ns that imme¬ 
diately interior to it. Of the species enumerated the following belonged to this 
group : Nymphaa c/ernlea and cyanea , belonging to the section Cyanea; Ay > nphirs 
Mexxcana and micrantha , belonging to the section Castalia. 3. The third group m- 
durles those species in the petioles of which there are two large senii-ovnte canal*, 
and in which the arrangement of the peduncular air tubes is of the same concentric 
character as had been described in the second group. The species in which tm» 
disposition occurs are all comprised in the section Lotus. They are—Ay"/'"™ 
rubra, Lotus dvntata, dentate major, and Devoniana. The author thinks that altbougn 
there are many species of Nymphmn not alluded to in his remarks, yet it may be '» lf f 
assumed that the disposition of their air canals is subject t.o one or other of the fore¬ 
going modifications ; and with reference to the difference of opinion as to whetn r 
many of the so-called species of Nymphcea are to be regarded ns such, or mere y *- 
varieties, he observes that if the arrangement of the air canals is of lit tie value** 
evidence of the latter view, at least it cannot be adduced in support of the former. 
nf 5hl a I ing ® ° f T 0US marine animals were exhibited by the Rev. *- W®*- °J e 
of the drawings illustrated the young state of the common starfish (Umtcr • 
On the Nature of the Torbanehill and other Varieties of Coal. 
By Professor Redfern, M.D., Aberdeen. 
h2 1 recenfl f v rn i ?* ,duced . th<s subject by remarking, that the great interest 
Gillcsnie f °"’ C3 * ts origin to the practical question raised in tl» e J 
fo r their own tl*' ra ’J ier th ah to investigations into the characters of coa P ^ 
applS in o?H n •. v Ic ? toted hiB conviction that the term "coal/ as ■»£*, 
the construction Ilri *» efficiently understood for ull commercial purl 
tionofcoalZJi &C - aud diffeh-n.es of opinion as to the scientific 
author then noL Z to interfere with the popular acceptation of that • 
that of 'n niw °“ fc , thot the geological position of the Torbanch.il coah- 
of coals to S ] \° P rod «ced Dr Fyfc’s tables of the chemical co«P^ 
of coals in tbe Torbanehill coal contains all the chemical = 
teins nothin 5ar ? c Proportions as in some of them, and 
the Torbanehill C ^i '* , not ^ ound > n coals. He produced specimens t 
"Wlieoliirr' “ nd il Is full or fos,iI plant. 
inclined and Bin* l , c [“ re< t sur faces he showed numerous angular fac , i ir gtr 
fossfla Ly ofl n £ hat M Wel1 89 ,ar E e Portions of the 0U ?“Ltf a 
lens. A^these foi * «*° daced b >' ve89cls of P ,antS b >’ £* ¥ 
the coni, and it,;. ' ? ha\c a smnlar microscopical structure to the farts art ® 
