Royal Society. 147 and almond; and of tropical drug-or food-yielding species Theobroma cacao, Croton Eluteria and Tiglium, Paullinia sorbiJis, and Mallotxis philippinens'is. As far as possible the plates have been drawn from living specimens. They are drawn and lithographed by Mr. Jilair, a young and rising botanical artist, and are well executed, with abuudant structural detail and colouring not overdone, though in some cases (e. g. Mentha viridis and Digitalis purpurea) the pictorial effect is marred by superabundance of shading. The letterpress, both botanical and pharmacological, is full and accurate; and alto-gether the book may be safely recommended as likely to be a com-plete and trustworthy handbook for medical men, chemists, and all wlio are interested in the subject. PROCEEDI^'GS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. EOYAL SOCIETY. November 25, 1875. — Dr. J. Dalton Hooker, C.B., President, in the Chair. " On the Structure and Relations of the Alcyonarian Heliopora ccerulea, with some Account of the Anatomy of a Species of Sarco-phyton ; Notes on the Structure of Species of the Genera Millepora, Focillopora, and Stylaster ; and Remarks on the Affinities of certain Palaeozoic Corals." By H. N. Moseley, M.A. (Oxon.), Naturalist to the ' Challenger ' Expedition. Introduction. — The author having undertaken the examination of the Deep-sea Corals dredged during the voyage of H.M.S. ' Chal-lenger,' was led to the study of the structure of corals generally, and especially to the examination of the Milleporidae, which seemed of peculiar interest, since they had been determined by Professor Agassiz to be Hydroids, and had been regarded by him as living re-presentatives of the PalcBOZoic Rugosa. Millipora alcicornis was obtained and examined at Bermuda, and another species of Mille-pora at Zamboangan, Mindanao, Philippine Islands. The examina-tion of these Millepores was found to be beset with great diffi-culties, and the present notes on their structure are to be regarded as only preliminary. Eurther investigations will be made with specimens which it is hoped will be obtained at the Sandwich Islands. At Zamboangan, Heliopora ccprulea was obtained, and found at once to be an Alcyonarian. Its structure is described in full in the paper. Another Alc^'onarian of the genus jSarcojjhyton (Lesson) was examined for the purpose of comparison. It proved to present special features of interest, and a general description of its anatomy also is therefore given. Notes are further appended on the anatomy of a species of Focillopora obtained at Zamboangan.
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