Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 73 



of alpine vegetation throughout the whole islands. This is certainly 

 rather what might be expected than otherwise ; but there are other 

 anomalies which cannot be altogether referred to climate ; and the 

 extreme scantiness of the flora is remarkable, considering the extent 

 of the islands, and the variety of soil, exposure, and situation which 

 they present." 



The flowering plants (including the grasses) hitherto observed in 

 Shetland extend to 94 genera and 178 species, while those found 

 in the district of Moray amount to 333 genera and 692 species ; 

 and even in a range of 16 miles round Aberdeen, there have been 

 found 287 genera and 562 species; and in a similar extent round 

 Edinburgh, the numbers are 389 genera and 908 species, while the 

 flowering plants of Great Britain extend to 523 genera and 15414 

 species. The proportion of species to genera is also least in Shet- 

 land and Aberdeenshire, being only 2 to 1 ; whereas in the Edinburgh 

 district it is 2^ to 1 , and in Britain generally it is 3 to 1 . 



The statements in Mr. Edmonstone's paper led to some interest- 

 ing conversation, in the course of which Professor Graham remarked, 

 as a phenomenon which has not hitherto received a satisfactory 

 solution, the entire destruction or absence of wood in many parts of 

 Scotland where once it evidently abounded, and where the change 

 cannot apparently have arisen through human instrumentality ; and 

 he observed, that the investigation of this subject would be attended 

 with great interest, besides being of importance in a national point 

 of view. 



Dr. Neill said, that in his opinion the peat mosses of Scotland 

 have generally been formed at an earlier period than is usually sup- 

 posed, some of them containing trees which do not now exist in the 

 country ; and he suggested that means should be taken to ascertain 

 the particular species of which the mosses consist, by taking speci- 

 mens of wood and seeds, or cones, &c, from the successive layers, 

 and duly noting their relative position, with all such circumstances 

 as might tend to establish a correct theory respecting our aboriginal 

 forest- vegetation ; indeed he had once proposed that a prize should 

 be offered by the Highland Society for the best essay on this sub- 

 ject, but his proposal had not been carried into effect. 



Mr. Brand remarked, that in this country, as in America, the 

 forests in many places appear to have been destroyed by fire, and he 

 instanced some oak-trees in Dalkeith Park which appear to have 

 been burnt down at an early period, and to have thrown out new 

 trunks from the stumps at a later date. 



Mr. Goodsir supposed that the increase of the peat might gra- 

 dually render the soil unfit for the support of trees, and stated, in 

 reference to a remark made by Professor Graham on the approach 

 of the alpine plants in Shetland to the sea-edge, that this peculiarity 

 coincided with the elevation of the deep-sea invertebrate animals to 

 the high- water mark in the same locality. 



This Society met again on the evening of Wednesday, December 

 7th, Professor Christison in the chair. The election of office-bearers 



