by taking advantage of this simple means of securing cross-fertilisation. During the past three years the average increase in grain amounted to 24 per cent. This inquiry has led to the deeper, and from the scientific point of view, much more interesting one, of the actual nature of fertilisation in plants, which already has led to several interesting results, such as the discovery that the pair of plumes standing on the ovary of all the cereals and grasses, which have, hitherto, been regarded as stigmas, really performed no stigmatic function at all, but served the purpose of driving out the anthers when ripe to spread the pollen outside in order to secure cross-fertilisation generally. The ovary at this stage is not ripe, and when, a little later on, it ripens, the flower opens to enable it to receive flying pollen in return. The inquiry is being continued, and promises to give results bearing upon fertility and sterility in both plants and animals. Trials have also been made to ascertain the relative characters of the different varieties of Oats, with the view of finding which variety might be crossed with greatest promise of getting benefit of both better quality and greater quantity of crop. The Annual Report for 1900 is published by Wyllie and Sons, Aberdeen, price 1s. SECTION X. LAW. LONDON. THE INCORPORATED LAW SOCIETY OF THE (INSTITUTED 1827; INCORPORATED 1832; RE-INCORPORATED 1845), 103 TO 113 CHANCERY LANE, LONDON, W.C. Officers.-President: Sir Henry Fowler, M.P., G.S.C.I. Secretary: Edward Walter Williamson. Librarian: Frederick Boase. Meetings.-On Fridays at 2 P.M., except during the Vacations. Membership.-Annual Subscription: for Town Members, Two Guineas; Country Members, One Guinea. Papers read at the Twenty-Seventh Annual Meeting (held October 23 and 24, 1900, at Weymouth, and published in the "Proceedings." Blyth, E. K.-Ancient Lights, con- | Cooke, J. H.-Workmen's Compen- Ellett, R.-President's Address. Work, Position, and Benefits. Godden, W.-Solicitors' Book-keeping and Separate Banking Accounts for Clients' Moneys. Horsburgh, T. M.-Scottish System Reid, J. W.-The Formation of Lim- Act of 1900. THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PATENT AGENTS, 19 SOUTHAMPTON BUILDINGS, CHANCERY LANE, W.C. (FOUNDED AUGUST 12, 1882; INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER, 1891.) Officers. —President: P. M. Justice. Secretary and Registrar: H. Howgrave Graham. Meetings. On Wednesdays, at 8 P.M., from November to May. The Annual Meeting takes place in May. Publications during 1900.—Supplements to Patent Laws of the World (various prices). Register of Patent Agents, 1s. Examination Papers, 1s. Papers read from January 1900 to June 1901, and printed in the "Transactions." Officers.--Presidents: J. D. Millar, M.A., LL.B.; J. Lamb, M.A.; A. M. Hamilton, M.A., LL.B. Secretary: R. C. Henderson, M. A., LL.B., 48 India Street. Librarian: A. Taylor, M.A., LL.B. Meetings. On Wednesdays at 8 P.M., from November to March (except during recesses of the Court of Session). Membership.-Entrance Fee, Five Guineas; Annual Subscription, 31s. 6d. [No Return.] SECTION XI. LITERATURE AND HISTORY. LONDON. BALLAD SOCIETY. (FOUNDED 1868.) Hon. Secretary: Officers.—Editor-in-Chief: Rev. J. W. Ebsworth, M.A. THE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 20 HANOVER SQUARE, W. Officers.-President : Francis Jenkinson, M. A. (FOUNDED 1892.) Hon. Secretary: A. W. Pollard, M.A., 10 Lauriston Road, Wimbledon Common. Meetings.-Third Monday in each month, from November to June inclusive, at 5 P.M. The Anniversary Meeting is in December. Membership.-Entrance Fee, 21s.; Annual Subscription, 21s. Publications during 1900 (issued to Members only).—Transactions, Vol. V. Part 3. Illustrated Monographs.--VII. Antoine Vérard, by John Macfarlane. VIII. The Printing of Greek in the Fifteenth Century, by Robert Proctor. IX. A Book Bound for Mary, Queen of Scots, by G. F. Barwick. List of Papers read from January 1900 to June 1901. Those marked * are published in "Transactions," Vol. V. about English Printers. Oct. 15, Barwick, G. F.-A Copy of Ptolemy | Plomer, H. R. Recent Discoveries Butler, A. J.-Elizabethan Cypher Ferguson, Prof. J.-Reisch's "Mar- 1900. 1900. Pollard, A. W.-Early English Book Welch, C.-The Sir Thomas More |