128 PROCEEDIN-GS OF SOCIETIES. 



planted ; near the landing-place there is another fine species, which is perhaps 

 new. The Palms are also a striking portion of the Flora ; in addition to the 

 singular species with the bottle-shaped stem (which is to be named Hyophorbe 

 BarTclyi), Latania glaucophylla and another species occur. There is also an 

 Aloe probably uudescribed. Ebenacecs are represented by stunted trees of 

 three species of Biospyros. There are two trailing Asclepiads, a Terminalia, 

 and a Blackwellia, an introduced Sonchus, and Ageratum conyzoides. A re- 

 markable feature in the flora is the very large proportion of Endogens, if indivi- 

 duals were taken, this would be at least 99 to 1. As might be anticipated, 

 the genera are essentially Mascarene, but the species are either different ones, 

 or vary considerably from those of Mauritius. 



Edinburgh Botanical Society. — February \Oth, 1870. — Sir Walter 

 Elliot, K.S.I., President, in the chair. The following communications were 

 read : — I. " Account of Botanical Excursions made in the Island of Arran 

 during August and September, 1869." By Prof. Balfour. II. " Sketches of 

 the Botany of Lord Howe's Island." By Chai-les Moore, Esq., Director of 

 the Botanic Garden, Sydney. Communicated by Dr. Cleghorn.* III. " Bo- 

 tanical Notes from Naples." By Professor AUman. IV. Report on the Open- 

 Air Vegetation in the Royal Botanic Garden. By Mr. M'Nab. Mr. J. B. 

 Webster, forester, presented a twig of Wellingtonia bearing ten cones, from 

 the plantations of Sir William Verner, Bart., Ireland. 



IQth March. — Sir Walter Elliot, President, in the chair. Prof. Balfour 

 noticed the death of Prof. Franz Xavier linger, M.D., which took place 

 suddenly at Gratz on IStli of February last, one of the foreign honorary Fellows 

 of the Society. Mr. Sadler noticed the death of Dr. Alexander Carroll Maingay, 

 who joined the Society on 8th February, 1855. He was particularly fond of 

 cryptogamic botany, and while in Edinburgh, from 1854 to 1858, he re-arranged 

 the collection on Algce in the university herbarium. He contributed several 

 papers to the Society's proceedings, and on taking his degree of M.D. in 1858, 

 he obtained a gold medal for his thesis entitled " A Monograph of the British 

 ParmeliacecB," which was illustrated by drawings and specimens, and contained 

 much original research. He was shot some weeks ago while trying to stay a 

 mutiny amongst the convicts in the jail at Rangoon. 'The following com- 

 munications were read : — I. " On the Formation of a Museum of Vegetable 

 Materia Medica." By Dr. WiUiam Craig. The author referred particularly 

 to the formation of a complete materia medica museum for the use of students. 

 While admittmg the value of the materia medica collection in the vmiversity, 

 which was now regularly consulted by students, andr also the importance of the 

 herbarium of medicinal and economical plants at the Royal Botanic Garden, 

 which was open to the public, he thought that it would be well if the Society 

 woiild assist in forming a museum to illustrate completely tlie British Pharma- 

 copceia by means of herbarium and laboratoi-y specimens. In conclusion, he 

 gave some ilhistrations as to the mode how such a museum could be carried out. 



* Printed at length in 'Journal of Botany,' 1869, p. 299. 



