176 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



that this form of Produdus may only be the young fry of some of 

 our well known species, such as Frodudus longispiniis, the shell 

 becoming free after a certain stage of development. Mr Young 

 said that he was, however, inclined to regard the adherent form as 

 distinct. Mr Bennie's specimens were collected from Carboniferous 

 limestone strata in the East of Scotland. In the West of 

 Scotland this small adherent form has not yet been satisfactorily 

 identified, but an example of an apparently much larger adherent 

 form of Frodudus attached to a thick crinoid stem, has been 

 found at Auchenmade limestone quarry, near Dairy, by Mr John 

 Smith of Eglinton Iron Works. Unfortunately nothing but the 

 adherent spines remain attached in this specimen. It was, there- 

 fore, with the view of calling the attention of the members to 

 these adherent forms of Frodudi that Mr Young no^v brought 

 the subject before the meeting, in the hope that other discoveries 

 will show whether they are to be considered as distinct species 

 or not. 



lY. — Notes on the State of Vegetation in the Fuhlic Parhs in January, 

 1877, and of the temperature and rainfall in 1876, as comjKtred 

 with the previous year. By Mr Duncan M'Lellan, Superin- 

 tendent of Parks. 

 Mr M'Lellan stated that in January 1876 there were found 

 in flower at the various Public Parks of Glasgow, 17 species and 

 9 varieties of plants, while in the same month of 1877 there were 

 only 8 species and 4 varieties; and that the difference might be 

 accounted for by taking into account the great amount of rainfall 

 during the last three months of 1876. Taking December as an 

 example, there were only six days without rain, while during the 

 corresponding month of 1875 there were 18 dry days. AYith 

 excessive moisture, therefore, and a consequently low temperature, 

 vegetation was almost at a standstill during January 1877, and a 

 number of plants of delicate foliage sufi'ered severely. Wet 

 weather seems to retard vegetation to a greater extent than severe 

 frost, the effects being longer felt. After a hard frost in December 

 vegetation starts rapidly, but after a continued drenching the 

 improvement is very slow. In the remarks submitted by Mr 

 M'Lellan in September 1876, on the extremes of heat and cold 

 during the spring and summer months, it was shown that the 



