Xlviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



gical Notes for 1884, with remarks on the State of Vegetation 

 in the Public Parks of Glasgow," by Mr. Duncan M'Lellan, 

 Superintendent of Parks ; * "A Plea for the Study of Natural 

 Objects," by Rev. John Muir ; "A Curious Dwelling for a 

 Hermit-Crab," by Mr. Thomas Scott, Corresponding Member, f 



28th April, 1885. 



Dr. James Stirton, F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



The following were elected Ordinary Members, viz. : Messrs. 

 R. S. Wishart, M.A., 11 Gower Street, Kelvinside ; Robert 

 Service, Laurieknowe, Maxwelltown, Dumfries; and Robert Gill, 

 109 West George Street. 



Mr. Thomas Scott, Corresponding Member, exhibited fertile 

 specimens of the following Mosses from the Greenock district, 

 viz. : 



Breutelia arcuata, Dicks. — Shielhill Glen. 



Pogonatu7n alpiiium, L. — Rotten burn Glen. 



Dii^hyscium foliosiun, L. — Spring Dam, on the way to Loch 

 Thorn. 



Neckera crispa, L. — Shielhill Glen. 



N. complaiiata, L. — Duchal. 



Hylocomium squarrosurn, L. — Rottenburn Glen. 



H. triquetrum, L. — Rottenburn Glen. 



Mr. Peter Ewing exhibited several species of Pottia, and 

 other small mosses, mounted as microscopic objects ; and he 

 stated that in preparing specimens for his herbarium he had 

 found the ordinary method of gumming the plants to sheets of 

 white paper to be productive of unsatisfactory results in the 

 case of mosses so minute in all their parts. He had therefore 

 mounted these plants in a manner better adapted for micro- 

 scopic examination, and in this way the minute characteristics 

 of each species could more easily be observed. The following 

 was the medium employed, the specimens being mounted as 

 transparencies on cards of a suitable size : — 



7 parts pure glycerine, 1 part French gelatine, 6 parts distilled 

 water ; add 1 drop carbolic acid to every 100 drops of above 

 mixture. The whole to be boiled till the flakes caused by the 

 carbolic acid disappear, and filtered through spun crystal. 



Mr. C. Sherry exhibited a male spike of Ceratozamia mcvicana, 

 Brong., one of the Cycadacece. It belongs to a group of palm- 

 like, dwarf trees, with simple trunks having undeveloped inter- 

 nodes. The leaves, which are clustered at the summit of the 



* Id. i. Ii3. fid. i. 146. 



