93 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



rifjid liiiirs, all pointing dounwartls, which prevent the return of any in- 

 sect that has ventured far down. " On Carnivorous and Insectivorous 

 Plants," b\' ^Irs. Barber. The author considered Nepenllies, Sarraceuia, 

 Darllri()lo)na, Cfphdotus, and the Cape species of Brosera and Roridula 

 as predatory phuits. 



Jan. 19///, 1871. — G. Bentliam, Esq., President in the chair. A pho- 

 tographic alljuni, ' In Menioriani Cai oli a Litnie,' published in Sweden, 

 and consisting of mounted photograpiis of places connected with the life 

 and death of the great botanist, was exhibited. The price of the book 

 is £,2, and it can be obtained from Mr. Oscar Dickson, of Gottenl)urg. 

 Sjiecimens of Caucalis Icdifolia, collected near Keynshara, Gloucestershire, 

 by Mr. Plower, were exhibited [additional district (5) to those given in 

 Wjitson's ' Compendium ']. The following papers were read : — By D. 

 llanburv, " Historical Notes on Radix Galarujre (nwwrk)." This was 

 known as early as the ninth century, being mentioned in the MS. of an 

 Arabian writer of that date ; the later Greek physicians also notice it, and 

 in North Europe it was known as early as the twelfth century, though not 

 in common use in the West before the fifteenth. At present the chief 

 consumption of this drug is in Kussia, where it is nsed as a spice and 

 flavoui-iug as well as a medicine. Dr. Hooker read a letter from Mr. J. 

 Atkin giving an account of S. Christoval, the most south of the Solomon 

 Islands. A general view of the nature of the flora was given : there are 

 few large trees or Grasses, and a complete absence of Tree-ferns. — " Notes 

 on Bi/nanl/iHS," by Dr. M. T. Masters. The plant described by Guille- 

 min as Byrsanfhus Brownii, is not the same species as Brown's plant 

 (S. c7?/y_y///^5, Masters, n. sp.) described in Tnckey's 'Congo.' The ar- 

 rangement of the stamens in the genus is peculiar : in the outer row there 

 are apparently 10 stamens alternating with 10 glands ; Dr. Masters con- 

 siders the glands opposite the sepals to be barren stamens, and the re- 

 mainder to constitute 5 compound stamens (opposite the petals), each 

 compound stamen consisting of a central gland, and on either side of this 

 a stamen. The inner row consists of 5 glands (barren stamens) opposite 

 the sepals, and 5 fertile stamens opposite the petals. 



Botanical Society of Edinburgh. — Jan. \2th. — Alexander Bu- 

 chan, Esq., President, in the chair. The following communications were 

 read : — " Note on the Practical Application of Meteorology to the Im- 

 provement of Climate." By A. Buchan. In the ' Journal of the Scottish 

 Meteorological Society' for April, 1870, there appeared a valuable paper 

 by Mr. D. Milne Howe, Chairman of the Covmcil of the Meteorological 

 Society, on " Suggestions for Increasing the Supply of Spring Water at 

 Malta, and improving its Climate," in which the author shows that plan- 

 tations would increase the water supply of the island, and ameliorate its 

 climate. The drawbacks to the climate of Malta are chiefly these: — 

 During winter and spring the island is swept by cold northerly winds ; 

 during the summer mouths the heat is excessive, and during all seasons 

 there is great scarcity of water. These climatic peculiarities, which are 

 very deleterious to health and vegetation, may be regarded as primarily 

 arising out of the geographical position of Malta. The winter tempera- 

 ture rapidly falls in proceeding from Malta towards the north-east ; thus 

 while at Malta the mean temperature of January is 56"0°; at Corfu it is 

 49 8°; at Belgrade 30-3°; at Kiew 20'4°; and at Moscow 12-4°. Hence 



