Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 345 



The timber is much valued in the navy for making large and durable 

 spars. A remarkable circumstance connected with the collecting of 

 this resin is, that it is principally found amongst sandy soil, on open 

 fern-land, where not the vestige of a tree is to be found ; a fact which 

 indicates the existence at a recent date of extensive forests of this pine, 

 having merely surface roots on the thin soil of these islands, deriving 

 their nourishment mainly from the humid state of the atmosphere 

 which characterizes that climate." 



3. " Mimosa Bark," of commerce. — "This is the bark of Acacia 

 dealbata, and contains a greater per-centage of tannin than any other 

 bark. It is a handsome tree, from 15 to 30 feet high, forming luxu- 

 riant groves on the banks of streams, most abundant in Port Philip 

 and Twofold Bay, between the parallels of lat. 34° and 38°. These 

 groves, when in full blossom, send forth a fragrance which may be 

 detected several miles distant, and on approaching them they present 

 one of the most picturesque features in Australian forest scenery." 



4. Seeds from the cone of Araucaria Bidwillii. 



5. Fossil Ferns in Shale, from the Coal-measures of Australia. 

 " Evidence has been found of the carboniferous strata running along 

 the east coast of Australia, extending north and south a distance of 

 1000 miles." 



Mr. Mossman also exhibited twenty new species of Australian 

 plants, and remarked — "Since Brown's 'Prodromus' was published 

 in 1810, very little has been done in illustrating the botany of Au- 

 stralia. Few genera have been added to the list given by this emi- 

 nent botanist. Although Cunningham, Labillardiere and others have 

 added materially to our list of species, there is still a vast field open 

 in this interesting region to future additions in botanical discovery, as 

 is evident from the little I have done myself in that distant land ; 

 having brought home forty new species, some of which I now exhibit. 

 In my herbarium of Ferns is one rather interesting to the student of 

 this department of botany. No. 667 may be considered a variety of 

 Stegania (Lomaria) nuda, R. Br. ; it has the fructification of Loma- 

 ria, but the venation of Blechnum in parts of the frond, but not in 

 all. Sir William Hooker and Mr. J. Smith have observed it before, 

 and do not agree with Mr. Brown entirely in his discrimination of the 

 two genera ; for example, Mr. Smith considers the Lomaria Spicant 

 of Mr. Brown as a Blechnum, and this variety of Lomaria nuda, Br., 

 tends merely to show, according to him, that it too is truly a Blech- 

 num, not a Lomaria." 



6. Dr. Balfour made some remarks on the glandular stipules of 

 Cinchonacese. — Mr. Weddell states that on the inner surface of the 

 base of the stipules of Cinchona and allied genera, he had observed 

 numerous small glands which secreted a gummy fluid. In Cinchona 

 the secretion is transparent and fluid, while in several other genera it 

 is solid and opake, and seems to glue the stipules to the bud which 

 they embrace ; this is particularly the case in Pimentelia glomerata. 

 In Rondeletia the secretion is soft, like wax, and of a beautiful green 

 colour. The inhabitants of Peru give it the name of Aceite-Maria, 

 or Oil of Mary ; they collect it carefully, and use it as an external 

 application in various diseases. The stipular glands have an oval or 



