Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London - University Library

LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 1
growth of the tissues in which they are embedded, they are more
or less ovei'-arched, the openiug of the arch looking downwards.
The surface of the tissue is hard and polished, quite smooth to the
finger moving in a downward direction, and rougli to the finger,
from the sharp edges of the arches, moving in an upward
direction. JV. Lowii has much larger, differently shaped pitchers,
constricted in the mitldle, with sunken honey-glands on the
lid as much as y^ inch in diameter and a very small poreopening.
The digestive glands in the lower part of the pitcher
are pentagonal to heptagonal in shape, \\ ith a raised, hard rim all
round. The collar is the simplest in the genus, but it has a
prominent, single series of perithecoid honey-glands near its inner
margin.
N. lidjah, in a wild state at least, has sometimes a total length
of leaf and pitcher of betvxeen five and six feet, with a very
elaborate collar and a corab-like inner margin and solitary honeyjj;lands,
reached by a tunnel-like opening between the teeth ; the
largest pitchers have a capacity of two tpiarts. In N. echinostoma
the collar consists of several series of combs, directed inwards and
downwards, with a similar honey -gland in eacli tooth. iV. Edivardsiana
has a relatively narrow pitcher sometimes as much as
two feet long, and the collar iias thin transverse rings that are
A'ery distinctive. The collar of iV. echinostoma is remarkable in
having about four series of flattened spines, projecting inwards
and downwards ; each spine has an apic-al pore, the opening to a
deeply seated honey-gland. In all other species the glands are
between the teeth or spines. The digestive glands in the upper
part of the retentive zone of this pitcher are very small, and
number about 15,000 to the square inch. JV. Northiuna and
N. Feitchii have remarkable broad turn-down, plaited, scolloped
collars ; N. hicalcarata is remarkable in having two very sharj)
spurs springing from near the hinge of the lid and projecting over
the mouth of the pitcher; N. celehica has a horn-like appendage
on the lid at a point opposite the hinge.
The complex arrangements favour the descent of insects and
other creatures into the pitchers, and hinder almost all visitors
from getting out again ; once in, there is little hope of escape.
A few hybrids were also shown, notably one named " Sir William
Tliiselton-Dyer," which has produced the largest pitcher known
in cultivation, being a pint and three-quarters in capacity.
The following papers were read :
1. " On the Axillary Scales of certain Aquatic Monocotyledons."
By Prof. R. J. Harvey Gibson, F.L.S.
2. "A fui'ther Contribution to the Stiidv of Pelomyxa palustris
(Greeff)." By Mrs. Lilian J. Veley, F.L.S.
3. " On Mansonieae, a new Tribe of the Natural Order
Sterculiaceffi." Bv Lt.-Col. David Praiu, I.M.S., F.ll.S., F.L.S.
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