To8 PEOCEEDTNGS OF THE 



and of the Royal in 1858, and in 1867 Corresponding Member ot 

 the Institute of France. His published memoirs amount to more 

 than 130. Since 1874 liis health declined, and on April 6 he 

 died at Munich. (See Biograph. Skizze, Zeitsch. f. Wissensch. 

 Zool. Bd. xlii. 1885.) 



APPENDIX. 



Absteact of PA-PEE. 



On the Germination of Seeds after Prolonged Submersion in 

 Salt AV^ater. By James Waltee White, Esq. (Commu- 

 nicated by Dr. E. C. A. Peioe, F.L.S.) 



[Eead 7th May, 1885.] 



The facts described in the present paper bear upon the germina- 

 tion of seeds after prolonged submersion in salt water in the 

 estuary of the river Avon at and below Bristol. 



Three or four years ago the Dock and Harbour authorities of 

 this city bestirred themselves to improve the navigation of the 

 port. In deepening the water-channels a large quantity of accu- 

 mulated deposit was taken up by steam-dredgers both from the 

 bed of the Avon and from the floating harbour. These dredgings 

 were deposited in a disused stone-quarry in the Avon gorge. A 

 staging was erected on the river-bank, barges were brought 

 alongside, and by means of steam cranes and tramways some 

 thousands of tons were tipped into the quarry. The bulk of the 

 matter scraped up irom the bed of the river was broken limestone 

 and alluvial mud, with a good deal of town and ship rubbish, 

 bones, and brickbats. From the basins there came also a quan- 

 tity of ashes and refuse thrown overboard from ships in the 

 harbour. All this was tipped from the trams by manual labour 

 until the bed of the quarry became raised above the level of the 

 tow-path ; and then the trams were hauled up the incline by 

 steam-power, while men distributed the contents. No horses 

 were employed on the work. The limestone-rubble and heavier 

 matters of course remained where they were thrown, but the semi- 

 fluid mud flowed, lava-like, into the recesses and depressions of 

 the surface. ]n this way a space of about an acre was covered 

 with dredgings to a depth of from twenty to thirty feet, and then 

 it was necessary to cease operations m order that the mass might 

 drain and settle before making further additions. This brings 

 us to the winter of 1882. 



As time went on and spring advanced the soil, now drained 

 and washed free from salt by the rains, became firm enough to 

 walk upon, and shortly afterwards I noticed a profuse and varied 

 vegetation, both on the stony rubble heaps and on the softer soil 



