NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. XXXIV 



where it occurs in a stalactilic form in fissures of the limestone 

 rocks. It has been detected only in two localities in Scotland. It 

 contains about "75 Carbon, '13 Hydrogen, and traces of Oxygen 

 and Nitrogen. 



Mr. Peter Ewing exhibited a remarkably fasciated specimen of 

 Matricaria inodora, L., var. salina, Bab., found on the sea-shore at 

 Ayr. He also showed specimens of Juncus tenuis, Willd., a plant 

 reported for Scotland many years ago by Don, but not rediscovered 

 in this country till the present season, when it was found at New 

 Galloway, Kirkcudbrightshire, by Mr. James M' Andrew, Corres- 

 ponding Member ; and of Car ex rostrata, Stokes, var. elatior, Blytt r 

 found at Dougalston, near Milngavie, by Mr. Richard M'Kay. 



Mr. R. S. Wishart, M.A., in exhibiting some growing seeds ex- 

 tracted from a ripe fruit of Lemon, drew attention to the fact that 

 formation of chlorophyll in the cotyledons and plumule had ap- 

 parently been going on without their exposure to light — a process 

 which is at variance with the generally accepted view that light is 

 essential to the production of the green colouring-matter. 



Mr. Thomas King, Vice-President, remarked that from one point 

 of view it might appear strange that seeds did not usually begin to 

 grow within such fruits as that of the Lemon where abundance of 

 moisture was present. With regard to the production of chloro- 

 phyll, the statement that it is not developed unless in the presence 

 of light does not explain such processes as the formation of the layer 

 of green cells found under the brown outer-bark of many trees. 



Mr. Peter Ewing made some remarks on the probable occurrence 

 in Scotland of Vaccinium intermedium, Ruthe, which is regarded 

 as a hybrid between V. Myrtillus, L., and V. Vitis Idcea,Jj The 

 leaves of V. Myrtillus change colour comparatively early in the 

 autumn, and soon fall, while those of V. intermedium are almost 

 evergreen and seem to remain quite fresh until about the end of 

 November. 



Mr. D. A. Boyd showed specimens of Solatium nigrum, L., from 

 cultivated ground at Seamill, West Kilbride, and poJs of Glaucium 

 lute urn, Scop., from Lesser Cumbrae. 



Mr. Boyd read two papers, entitled " On the occurrence in North 

 Ayrshire of the Water Shrew, Sorex fodiens, Pall., and Otter,. 

 Lutra vulgaris, Erx." * and "Notes on the Collembola and 

 Thysanura." 



* Transactions, vol. ii., p. 293. 



