32 The Scottish Naturalist. 



Geranium sanguineum L. — About the middle of August I 

 found on two plants of this species at Muchalls large con- 

 spicuous masses at the end of the shoots, consisting of leaf- 

 lets which had become thickened and distorted, their margins 

 being revolute, and the external surface being nearly naked 

 and smooth. Each leaflet forms an irregular tube length- 

 wise (the lower surface of the leaf internal), which is loosely 

 filled with whitish hairs, among which live multitudes of a 

 long-bodied four-footed pale-green mite, Phytoptus geranii. 

 The large mass formed by the leaflets is not very compact, 

 and varies from J' to i' in diameter. Each leaflet is green 

 or yellowish, with the tip deep red. 



Cytisus scoparius Link. — (a) From the galled pods (Sc. Nat. I., 

 p. 195), I have reared Asphondylia sarothamni Loew., and 

 also one of the Chalcididce. I have this year found these 

 galls abundant in Aberdeenshire, also at Dunkeld and 

 Lintrathen. (b) These galls occur on the young twigs in the 

 axils of the leaves, forming bud-like bodies, about \' by ■£§. 

 Externally they are green and smooth, with two or three 

 ribs lengthwise ; they are open above and two-lipped. In- 

 ternally, at the bottom there is a smooth cell, and above this 

 the sides are thickly lined with hairs, decreasing in quantity 

 upwards. The cell is occupied by one larva of Asphondylia 

 sarothamni Loew. ?. Usually a number of galls occur on a 

 twig. Common at Muchalls, at Inverury, and near Aberdeen. 



Poa sudetica possibly a British plant-— In June, 1872, I found a few 

 large tufts of a Poa here, which I could find no description of, so I sent a 

 specimen of it to Professor Babington, who kindly, and at once, named it Poa 

 sudetica. He says, — " It is found in Norway and Holstein, as well as more to 

 the south.'' It was in a rather " doubtful locality " where I found it, being 

 within private grounds ; but being neither useful nor ornamental, it would not 

 be sown or planted there, except accidentally. According to its geographical 

 distribution on the continent it may be found in other parts of Scotland, in 

 suitable places, viz. — shady woods where Bromus aspcr, Milium effusion, Poa 

 nemoralis, and other shade-loving plants delight to grow. It is a very distinct- 

 looking grass, about three feet high, growing in tufts, of a peculiar deep green 

 colour (somewhat like Luzula sylvatica), with strongly two-edged sheaths, a 

 mark it may be known by, as no other British grass I am acquainted with has 

 the same distinctive mark As there are many botanists who never try to get 

 anything named which they have not a description of, and others, who, on account 

 of the imaginary difficulty of the Graminea-, never go into them, it may 

 happen that the Poa sudetica may have been found by othes in less doubtful 

 localities. — Andrew Brotiiekston, Kelso. 



