Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON Linnean Society, November 18.—Robt.McLachlan, F.R.S., in the chair.—Dr. Geo. E. Dobson exhibited a remarkable parasitic worm from the intestine of Megaderma frons, from the Gold Coast. It appears allied to Pterygodermatites plagiostoma, Wedl, from the Long-eared Hedgehog, though on first hasty examination he (Dr. Dobson) had been disposed to regard it as a new genus, Metabdella. Dr. McDonald further drew attention to its peculiar anatomical structure and relationships. Dr. Cobbold agreed to the importance of the observations as verifying previous discoveries, with addition of novel structural details. He considered the worm as identical with the Ophiostomum of Rudolphi and Willemoes Suhm, with Pterygodermatitis of Wedl, and with Rictularia of Froelich, and he regarded it as an aberrant member of the Ophiostomidæ, whereas Wedl thought it came nearest the Cheiracanthidea.—Dr. Cobbold also exhibited specimens of Distoma crassum, Busk (previously in 1875 shown to the Society), from a Chinese missionary who, on return to China with his wife and daughter, were again all attacked by the parasite, and obliged to return to England.—A paper was read on a proliferous condition of Verbascum nigrum, by the Rev. G. Henslow. The upper part was very diffuse with leafy axes produced from the centres of the flowers, while the lower part had flowers with very large ovaries adherent within to arrested proliferous branches. These differences may be attributed to the general tendency of the sap to run to the extremities and thus cause an excess of development above with simultaneous arrested condition below.—A paper on the classification of the Gasteropoda (part 2) was read by Dr. J. Dennis McDonald. In this communication the author gives further data in support of his mode of arranging the group dependent on anatomical characters.—“Novitates Capenses” was the title of a paper by Messrs. P. MacOwan and H. Bolus, in which, among other novelties described of South African plants, were Ranunculus Baurii, Eridnella passerimoides, Orthosiphon ambiguens, and Htrpolirion capensis, the last a representative of a form hitherto known only from Australia.—A communication from the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, on Australian fungi (part 2), principally received from Baron F. von Müller, was taken as read.—Lieut. Col. H. Godwin-Austin was elected a Felfow of the Society.