Abstract
LONDON Linnean Society, December 3.—Sir John Lubbock, Bart., president, in the chair.—Mr. J. Harris Stone exhibited specimens of the dried plant and made remarks on Lychnis viscaria as a trap for ants. He pointed out that three or four glutinous or sticky rings are situate immediately underneath the nodes in the flowering stalks. Ants climbing the stems are arrested and die in numbers at the sticky zones, and few reach the flower. In Norway last summer he had observed as many as 95 per cent, of the plants with dead and dying ants thereon; and he therefore submits whether the zones are a protection to the flowers? the ants noxious? or that their dead bodies ultimately serve as pabulum for the plant? Dr. T. S. Cobbold exhibited diseased roots of Stephauotus which he had received from Dr. Masters. They swarmed with myriads of nematode worms and were also covered with minute Acari. He referred the worms to the genus Leptodera, and stated that thirty-three years back he discovered similar parasites in the shrivelled leaves of Gloxinias.—Dr. Maxwell Masters read a note on the foliation and ramification of Buddleia auriculata. He shows from a study of the mode of development and other considerations that the leafy auricles between the petioles represent leaves of a whorl, so that the verticil consists of two perfect and two imperfect leaves. An additional link between Loganiaceæ and Rubiaceæ is thus afforded. Further details were given concerning the multiple axillary buds in this plant and the supra-axillary shoots. Some of the peculiarities alluded to are usually explained on the hypothesis of fusion, but the author shows that in this, as in many similar cases, the appearances are due to an arrest of development, in consequence of which parts that should become free in course of growth remain inseparate, and in some cases are “uplifted” with the axis as it lengthens, and are thus removed from their normal position.—Prof. Owen read a paper on the homology of the conario-hypophysial tract, or the so-called pineal and pituitary glands. He propounds the view that it is the modified homologue of the mouth and gullet of Invertebrates; that the sub-œsophageal ganglia or ganglionic masses or neural cords constitute the centres whence are derived and caudally continued the homologues of the Vertebrate myelon.—Mr. McLachlan communicated a paper on the Neuropteraof Madeira and the Canary Islands. Prompted by the researches of the Rev. A. E. Eaton in November and December, 1880. The author gives a résumé of all that had been published on the subject, and a tabular statement of the species found in the islands, indicating those known also to exist in Europe. In all about 53 species had been noticed from the islands, of which 19 are known inhabitants of the European continent, and 4 African; 37 species had been found in Madeira, 31 in the Canaries, 16 being common to both. The paper concluded with a detailed account of the species, including descriptions of several new ones.—The following gentlemen were balloted for, and elected Fellows of the Society:—Capt. P. Greene, G. S. Jenman, W. Landau, E. G. Warnford Lock, Rev. T. P. H. Sturges, Lieut.-Col. C. Swinhoe, G. C. Walton, C. S. Wilkinson, G. S. V. Wills and Rev. Geo. Wilson.
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Societies and Academies . Nature 25, 166–168 (1881). https://doi.org/10.1038/025166b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/025166b0