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Proceedings of Societies.
Linnean Society. — February 16th. — G. Busk, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. The following papers were read : — " On the Eeproductive Organs of Tremellineous Fungi," by L. and C. Tulasne ; " Bryological -Remarks," by S. 0. Lindberg.
March 2nd.—G. Bentham, Esq., in the chair. The following botanical paper was read: — "On the Familiar Names of Plants," by the Eev. S. Mateer.
' March \&lh. — G. Bentham, Esq., in the chair. Professor Oliver exhi- bited specimens of Cnpania c'merea, Popp., showing the singular dehis- cence of the seed, which allows the embryo to fall out, whilst the testa and ardlas remain on tlie tree. Dr. Hooker read extracts from a letter from General Munro, describing the vegetation of a part of St. Vincent, West Indies. Mr. Henry Eeeks showed a series of forms, which he con- sidered a complete gradation between Polystlch/aii acidcatmn and P. a7igit- Inre. The specimens were collected at VVoodhay, Hampshire. The fol- lowing paper was read, " Notes on Capparls gulcuta and G. Murrayi," by N. A. Dalzell.
April 6th.—G. Bentham, Esq., in the chair. The following paper was read : — " On the Styles and Stigmas of Proteacea, by the President. The pollen in this Order is usually scattered before the flower opens; the stigma is also exposed, though not mature, in the bud. From the examination of mainly dried specimens, it appears that there are arrange- ments in many genera to prevent self-fertilization. In Petropliila, the stigmatic surface is shielded in the bud by the perianth-segment ; in a section of Persoonia, the style is turned away from the stamens, and received into a pouch; whilst in Conospermum, the lowest, and in Synaphea, the uppermost of the four anthers is abortive, the cells being open cups, and in each case the stigma is directed towards the abortive anther.
Botanical Society of Edinburgh. — April 16th. — Alexander Buchan, Esq., President, in the chair. The following communications were read : — " Notes on the recent Progress of Botany in Denmark." By Dr. iiobert Brown. In this paper Dr. Brown gives a review of some of the more important researches made by Danish botanists during the last few years, and published chiefly in the Danish langungc, in the 'JVansactions of the Natural History Society, the Botanical Society, the Academy of Sciences, or as s-parate works. After noticing the proposed removalof the Botanic Garden from the centre of the city of Copenhagen, where it has long been, he called attention to the foundation of the BotanisJc Forening, or Botanical Society, which now numbers between one and two hundred honorary, resident, non-resident and foreign mem- bers, and publishes a yearly ' Tidsskrift,' or fasciculus of transactions, con- taining many papers of merit. The last part is occupied by l^ranth and Ilostrup's "Licheries Danise.' It is under the Presidency of Professor Lange, and is yearly increasing in importance and numbers. The publica- tion of the 47th livraison of the ' Flora Danica,' under the editorship of Professor Lange, marks an era in Danish botany, and keeps up the high reputation this work has attained. The present part contains, like its predecessors, 60 plates, representing 75 plants (14 of these being varieties already partially described in the ' Flora Danica ' and two
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