66 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



** It was a delightful change of climate we made in six days' sail from 

 Britain, landing on a quay here, with a border in which bananas were 

 nourishing, with lofty bushes of heliotrope covered with blossoms, and 

 geraniums in full flower ; an avenue of young Phytolacca dioica, and 

 other symptoms of a warm climate. The first crop of peas we find 

 is over, beans are now in perfection, strawberries in fruit, sweet 

 roses in blossom. The wild plants are coming forward rapidly ; the 

 limestone hills are covered with the beautiful 7m Sisyrinchium and 

 sambucina, though the latter is not so abundant ; Ophrys vespifera or 

 lutea, arachnites and Orchis morio, several Antirrhinums, Cistuses, 

 the delicate Ulex australis, several Rutas, Cerinthe aspera, or a 

 variety with purple blossoms striped with white (that I got in Italy 

 and Greece was tinged with yellow) ; several species of Calendula ; 

 Bellis annua, sylvestris and perennis, the last the least common ; the 

 beautiful Narcissus Bulbocodium, Ornithogalum wmbellatum, Vinca 

 major in great profusion and beauty ; Cynoglossum, Lupinus, Illecebrum 

 Paronychia, Arum Arisarum and maculatum (or one which comes very 

 near it), Aristolochia longa, Asphodelus ramosus and fistulosus, Owalis 

 tuberosus and corniculatus. Genista triacanthos, Anemone ranuncu- 

 hides, and many other plants are now in perfection, as is the deli- 

 cate annual fern, Gymnogramma leptophylla. In the hedges, Rubus 

 fruticosus, Smilax nigra and aspera are abundant, the two latter in 

 fruit ; Ficaria ranunculoides is very large ; Urtica membranacea and 

 urens, both abundant. I have not observed any other species of this 

 genus. One of the most showy plants in the gardens at present is 

 Ant holy za cethiopica, which grows in large beds in damp shady situ- 

 ations; Calla cethiopica is also in great abundance and very fine. 

 Palms, bamboos, Dracana Draco, and other tropical plants, also 

 flourish in the open air." 



In a subsequent letter to Dr. Neill, Mr. Trevelyan gives a full list 

 of the plants in flower on 28th March. In this letter Mr. Trevelyan 

 writes — "The Cynomorium coccineum, formerly known in medicine 

 under the name of fungus melitensis, is a very common plant, very 

 showy, and in great abundance on the roots of the shrubby Cistus. 

 I hear that a company has been formed in Spain for the cultivation 

 of the sugar-cane. Many things might be cultivated, were it not for 

 the indolence and unenterprising nature of the people. No railroad 

 has been commenced or determined on, and scarcely any improve- 

 ments are going on in the country." 



3. Dr. Balfour read a letter which he had received from Dr. Cleg- 

 horn, a Fellow of the Society, dated Teerthully, 27th March, in 

 which he states that since the end of October he had made a tour 

 through the north-western division of Mysore, and collected a great 

 number of interesting plants, especially in the western Ghats. 

 Coloured drawings of most of them had been executed by a native 

 (Mahratta) draughtsman who accompanied him. Specimens of many 

 of the plants he purposes to send to the herbarium of the University 

 of Edinburgh under the charge of the Botanical Society. 



4. Dr. Balfour also read a letter from Dr. H. Giraud, also an ac- 

 tive member of the Society, dated Bombay, 26th February. In this 



