503 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



^^'- Length from base of beak to tip of tail, 23 inches. 



Grape li „ ^q 



Wing 9 „ -^ 



Tail lix „ 



Tarsi 2f „ 



Hah. ? 



There are three specimens in this museum, two males and one 

 female ; one of the males lived in the aviaries for many years. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



Thursday, 11th March, 1852. — Professor Balfour, Vice-President, in 



the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1 . "Remarks on the Growth of the Jalap Plant {Exogonium Purga), 

 and of the Scammony Plant {Convolvulus Scammonia), in the open 

 ground of the Botanic Garden," by Prof. Balfour. After alluding 

 to the cultivation of the Jalap and Scammony plants in Britain, Dr. 

 Balfour read some remarks by Mr. M*Nab on their mode of cultiva- 

 tion in the open air in the Botanic Garden. 



2. " On the Rate of Growth of the Bamboo (Bambusa arundinacea) 

 in the Botanic Garden," by Mr. M'Nab. The statement of the 

 growth of a bamboo stem in the Palm-house of the Royal Botanic 

 Garden, from the time it first showed itself above the soil (15th July, 

 1851) till the 31st of August, being a period of the year when arti- 

 ficial heat was almost entirely withheld, showed that on each day it 

 increased in length by quantities varying from 2\ to 5f inches. 



3. "Notice of a case of extensive Poisoning by one of the Cape 

 Iridacese," by Allan Dalyell, F.R.S.E., late Lieutenant 27th Regiment. 

 Communicated by Dr. Douglas Maclagan. The perusal of an inter- 

 esting paper on Colchicum by Dr. J. M. Maclagan, reminded me 

 that I possessed the sketch of a Cape plant with whose poisonous 

 properties I accidentally became acquainted. During 1841, — I write 

 from memory, when forming part of the demonstrative force ordered 

 to the Orange River — on one occasion after a march, arduous from 

 its length, but especially distressing from excessive drought, a halt 

 was made on the banks of the Little Fish River, near the village 

 of Somerset. That evening, eighty of the baggage and artillery 

 oxen were reported dead, and next morning forty more were found 

 poisoned, having eaten the flowers of a small iris-like plant which grew 

 in abundance around the encampment. 



During the following year, in the "Tarka," I had many opportu- 

 nities of renewing acquaintance with the same plant, — not, however, 

 under similar circumstances ; it is only when oxen are so far exhausted 

 by over-driving, as to lose their discriminative instinct in the hurry 

 of impetuous hunger, that poisoning follows its presence in their 

 grazing grounds. 



The nature of the locaUty where it grew, at the "Tarka," closely 

 resembled that at Somerset ; the flats above the bed of the " Swart 



