6 proceedings of the 



March 27th, 1860. 



John Scouler, M.D., LL.D., F.L.S., President, in the chair. 

 The Rev. James Copeland, Tana, New Hebrides, was elected a 

 corresponding member, and Mr Alexander Murray a resident 

 member of the society. 



PAPER READ. 



On the CUissification of Animals. By Dr Alexander Lindsay. 



April 24th, 1860. 

 John Scouler, M.D., LL.D., F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Professor Walker Arnot exhibited a specimen of Hypericum, 

 Anglicum of Bertolini, along with one of the common Hypericum 

 Androscemum, in order that the difference between them might be 

 appreciated. His attention had been drawn to it while preparing 

 the eighth edition of the British Flora, and in his own herbarium 

 he did not possess anything that agreed with H. Anglicum. He 

 had also examined the British herbarium (now in his possession), 

 which had been amassed by the late Mr Brodie, without any 

 trace of this species; but in another herbarium which also belongs 

 to him, and had been collected by his late friend, Mr D. Stewart 

 of Edinburgh, he found one specimen so perfectly accordant in 

 every respect with the characters given, that no doubt could exist 

 that this was the plant he was in quest of. This specimen was 

 mixed with specimens of H. Androscemum, obtained from various 

 parts of Scotland and Wales; it bore the station, " Hills behind 

 Greenock," but whether it had been collected there by Mr Stewart 

 himself, or presented to him by some friend, was not mentioned 

 on the label. As Dr Balfour met with it, about five years ago, on 

 the banks of the Crinan Canal, it may yet be detected in other 

 places on the West of Scotland. The foliage and general appear- 

 ance are very much the same as in H. Androsmmum, but the 

 flowers were pointed out to be considerably larger, and the styles, 

 instead of being short and recurved — in fact, buried among the 

 stamens — were flexuose, but otherwise straight, and much elon- 

 gated. As a species, it appeared to Dr Walker Arnot to be quite 

 distinct from H. Androscemum, but was, perhaps, a variety of H. 

 Elatum, of Aiton, with larger flowers than usual. The native 



