Proceedings of the Botanical Socieli/. 429 



March 9. — Professor Jameson, P. in the Chair. — Mr Cnnningham 

 read an Account of the early published descriptions of the Islands 

 of Eigg, Rurac, and Canna. Dr Traill then read a paper on a new 

 locality for the Carbonate of Baryta, and on the economical uses to 

 which the sulphate and carbonate are now applied in England, par^ 

 ticularly in the adulteration of white lead. Mr Torrie exhibited a 

 remarkable specimen of foot-marks on a slab of Red Sandstone, 

 from Craigs Quarry, near Dumfries. Mr Cunningham exhibited 

 specimens of Amethyst, from the Clinkstone of Blackford Hill. 



Botanical Society nf Edinburgh. 



%th N(yDember 1838. — Professor Christison, V. P. in the Chair. — 

 1. Professor Graham read an account of a visit which he, along 

 with some friends, had paid to the West of Ireland in August last, 

 to examine its botanical productions. It was stated that the moun- 

 tains of Cunnamara present very little of the alpine vpgetation with 

 which the mountains of Scotland are clothed, — a difference pro- 

 bably arising from their structure ; the summits, or nearly two-thirds 

 of their height, being composed of the most unproductive quartz. 

 Near the base of the mountains some micaceous soil exists, and 

 there a little alpine vegetation was found. The only peculiarity 

 which the quartz presented was abundance of Saxifraga umbrosa. 

 Menziesia polifolia was found to be scattered over a larger extent 

 of country than was expected, being met with in abundance on the 

 road-sides from within a few miles of Galway to Clifden, the most 

 westerly point visited. Cnicus pratensis occupied the situation which 

 Cnicus heterophyllus usually holds in Scotland, — the latter not yet 

 having been seen in Ireland. Pimpinella magna occurred in pro- 

 fusion along the road-sides between Galway and Oughterai-d. Erica 

 Mediterranea was ascertained to have been found in three stations 

 in the west of Ireland, considerably remote from each other. The 

 introduction of Erica carnea into the Irish Flora was understood to 

 have arisen from a mistake. 



2. Mr Forbes exhibited specimens of the true Primula elcUior of 

 Jacquin, gathered by him during the summer on the mountains of 

 Styria. He pointed out the distinctions between these and the 

 British specimens, and maintained that no true Primula elatior had 

 been found in Britain. He also laid before the Society some spe- 

 cimens of Viola pinnata from Mount Nanas in Carniola, in order 



