236 Botanical Society of Edinburgh, 



its substance, and an ill-defined elevation, which soon disappears, is all 

 that remains. 



Lastly, the substance of the fibre becomes contracted and con- 

 densed. The diameter of a fibre towards, or at the close of intra- 

 uterine life, is considerably less than at a much earlier period. 



At the period of birth muscular fibres vary much in size. 



The several stages in the development of muscular fibre, above 

 mentioned, do not succeed each other as a simple consecutive series; 

 on the contrary, two, or more, are generally progressing at the same 

 time. Nor does each commence at the same period in all cases. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



January 11th, 1855. — Professor Balfour, President, in the Chair. 



A letter was read from Dr. Senoner, Vienna, in which he remarks : 

 — " I beg your attention to the specimens of Auer's new discovery of 

 * natural self-printing,' which must be of importance to the interests 

 of botany, especially to the study of the Cryptogamics. As yet the 

 discovery has been but little applied practically. Von Heufler has 

 published the Cryptogamic Flora of the valleys of the Siebenburgen 

 with illustrations of this kind. Von Ettingshausen has by this 

 means given figures of the forms of the leaves in the Euphorbiaceae ; 

 and there is now appearing at Trieste the Flora of Northern Italy, 

 in drawings of this kind, of which no descriptive text has yet been 

 published, but only the figures, with the addition of the names, the 

 classification, and the different stations of the plants. The first 

 fasciculus has appeared. The delineation is not so correct and clear 

 as in Auer's self-printing, but it may be expected to be extended and 

 improved. In Tyrol also there is coming out by Ambross a Flora of 

 the * Tirolo Meridionale,' which is scientifically written, and gives, in 

 conjunction with Hausman's published Flora of Tyrol, a distinct 

 view of the Flora of that country, which still, however, conceals 

 many treasures." 



Dr. Balfour read some observations by Mr. Quarles Harris on the 

 Vine disease. 



" The first attack," says Mr. Harris, " I conceive to have been 

 from without, and to have fallen upon the leaves and fruit, in the 

 form of very minute and (to the naked eye) invisible sporules of a 

 peculiar fungus, formerly either unknown to, or not noticed by 

 botanists, perhaps because its blasting and destructive powers were 

 never before called into action. The Vine is thus covered with these 

 small cryptogamic germs, which are introduced into the cells and 

 vessels, and carried to all parts of the plant. 



" The following spring, on the rising of the sap, the disease shows 

 itself in the new shoots and in the bloom heads, and every infected 

 vine spreads ruin around it in every direction, the spores ripening 

 rapidly, and scattering thousands of sporules, which, wafted by every 

 breeze, settle on the neighbouring vines. 



" After the most laborious experiments and investigations, in which 

 I have had the assistance of intelligent practical botanists, and dje- 



