382 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



tous animal, the largest yet observed in the Mammalia, as may be 

 seen by reference to the copious Tables of Measurements which I 

 have appended to the English version of Gerber's Anatomy, and to 

 my edition of Hewson's Works, published for the Sydenham Society. 

 With the exception just mentioned, it is still a very interesting fact, 

 that a simple examination of less than one hundredth of a grain of 

 its dried blood would suffice to distinguish the Anteater from any 

 other animal in the Society's Menagerie. ,^ 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY 07 EDINBURGH. 



March 8, 1855. — Professor Balfour, President, in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — f6 



1. "A Comparative View of the more important Stages of Devel 

 lopment of some of the higher Cryptogamia and the Phanerogamia,** 

 by Charles Jenner, Esq. 



This paper has appeared in the * Annals,' p. 241. di 



2. " Notes of a Botanical Tour in the Channel Islands in August 

 1854," by Mr. C. Baxter. 



The author does not appear to have added to the known flora of 

 the Islands. :jA 



3. **0n some Gall-like appearances on the Leaves of a species of 

 Chrysophyllum from the Rio Negro collected by Mr. Spruce," by 

 Mr. James Hardy. 



These productions consist of a considerable number of deep brown, 

 polygonal or suboblong spots, situated near each other on the under 

 surface of the leaf, and occupying slight depressions. They are about 

 1 line in diameter, only slightly raised above the level of the leaf, and 

 very densely covered with short, closely intertwined, crisp hair. From 

 each of these, when perfect, arises a small subglobular wart, about 

 three-fourths of a line in diameter, of a pale chestnut colour, and 

 densely pubescent, with longer and nearly straight hair. The upper 

 surface of the leaves opposite to these spots is slightly protuberant, 

 and sometimes withered. Occasionally there is a small depression 

 corresponding to the centre of the gall ; but this is never pierced. 

 The gall-formed portions are hollow in the centre, and in one of the 

 largest something like the smooth walls of a cell were traced. They 

 appear to have been the habitation of some insect, but are now 

 empty. They have probably not attained their full growth, and this 

 will account for the want of a definite nucleus. 



4. ** Extracts from a letter from Dr. Cleghorn, on the discovery by 

 Major Cotton of the Gutta Percha plant in Malabar." Communicated 

 by Professor Balfour. In his letter, dated 13th January 1855, Dr. 

 Cleghorn remarks : — " Three days ago Major Frederick Cotton of 

 the Madras Engineers made a discovery. Riding through the Wy- 

 naad district a week or two since, he discovered the Gutta Percha 

 tree, and forwarded a spetnmen of the gum with a branch of the 

 plant to me, from which it appears to be a true Isonandra. It is 

 believed that the tree grows abundantly in the jungles of Malabar, 



