Abstract
LONDON Linnean Society, February 5.—Wm. Carruthers, F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair.—Mr. Chas. Stewart exhibited and explained a stained micro-copic section of the ovary of Hya-cinthu orienlalis, showing the intercellular network in the cells of the ovules. The nuclei before dividing increase in size, and there is a well-defined highly refractile fiorous network which becomes aggregated at opp sie sides of the nucleus, forming two star-shaped masses connected by fine fibres; the latter rupture when the stellate masses, becoming rounded, form the nuclei of the two new cells.—Dr. Francis Day presented for inspection examples of Salmorudo;, some of which had been reared under natural and others under unnatural conditions. A Salmo fonlinalis which had passed its existence in the Westminster Aquarium, had the head preternaturally elongated and a very narrow suboperculum, thus in striking contrast to examples reared from the same batch of imported eggs, and kept in a wild state in Cardiganshire.—Mr. R. Irwin Lynch brought under notice pods of Acacia homalophylla, wherein each end was attached by a very long and bright red funicle, which doubly folded on the sides of the seed. The funicle is supposed to be always detached with the seed, and from its brilliant colour to serve as an attraction to birds, and so assist in the dissemination of the plant.—Mr. A; Hammond drew attention to a larva of Tanypus maculatus. He mentioned that the coronet and appendages of the thoracic and anal regions had been said to be homologous with the respiratory organs of the larva and pupa of gnats, &c. This he doubted, inasmuch as the former originated from the ventral and not from the dorsal surface, as did the latter, and no trachea of any size could be traced in them. He also stated his opinion that the two oval bodies in the thorax attributed by De Geer to the air reservoirs were more probably salivary glands similar to those previously described by himself in the larva of the crane fly.—Mr. C. B. Clarke then gave an oral résumé of the order Commelynaceæ, which order he had lately worked out for De Candolle's “Prodromus.” He defined the order by the position of the embryo, as not surrounded by the albumen, but closely applied to the embryostega, which is always remote from the hilum. An important auxiliary character is that the three segments of the calyx are always imbricated, so that one is entirely outside the two others. Mr. Clarke divides the Com-melynacese into three tribes, as follows:—1. Pollieœ, fruit indehiscent; (2) Commelyneœ, capsule loculicidal, fertile stamens 3-2; (3) Tradescantieœ, capsule loculicidal, fertile stamens 6-5. The author remarked on the character of the two ranked seeds on which the genus Dichospermum had been founded, but which character is exhibited in species of various genera. He also alluded to the manifest and important change of colour in the petals of several of the Commelynaceæ (Aneilema versicolor, to wit), where from a bright yellow when fresh, they become of a deep blue when dry.—The Secretary afterwards read a paper on the Salmonidje and other fish introduced into New Zealand waters, by H. M. Brewer, of the Wanganui Acclim. Soc., N.Z. The author herein gave data concerning the British salmon (S. salar), Californian salmon (S. quinnaf), trout (S. fario), sea trout (S. trutta), American charr (S. fontinalis), perch (Perca flumatilis), tench (Tinea vulgaris), Prussian carp (Carassius vulgaris), cat fish (Pimelodes catas), white fish (Coregonus albus), and lastly a New Zealand fish called by the natives Upukororo.
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Societies and Academies . Nature 21, 411–412 (1880). https://doi.org/10.1038/021411a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/021411a0