122 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



word cross-fertilisation, wishes his hearer to understand that a different 

 vegetable element is involved from that which is involved when 

 he uses the term self-fertilisation, it is incumbent on him to fix in 

 his own mind what is his own meaning. — " Eemarks on Deciduous 

 Trees in "Winter." By James McNab. After alluding to the want 

 of knowledge displayed by landscape painters generally concern- 

 ing the characteristic aspects of forest trees during the winter 

 months, Mr. McNab proceeded to give some good practical distinc- 

 tions whereby various deciduous trees may be easily recognised in 

 their leafless periods. — ** Notes on the drug called Jaborandi." By 

 Dr. William Craig. — *' Localities for Rare Plants near Kelso." By 

 A. Brotherston. Communicated by Prof. Balfour. A great number 

 of introduced plants were mentioned ; several have been introduced 

 with wool from South America. — " Localities for Hare Plants near 

 Edinburgh " By Robert Kirk. This is a list of some of the rarer 

 plants which the author collected whilst competing for Prof. Balfour's 

 medal given last year for the best herbarium. Many of them are 

 undoubted introductions. The following seem worthy of mention, 

 either as confirming doubtful records, or as additional ones : Lavatera 

 arhorea ; Burntisland, Fife. Ononis campestris ; commonly on both 

 sides of the Forth. Lythrum Salicaria ; in great abundance on the 

 banks of the Esk, between Pollon and Lasswade, near Edinburgh. 

 Pastinaca sativa; banks of Esk at Auchindinny. Allosorus crispus ; 

 In a few places on the hills behind Bathgate, near Edinburgh. — Prof. 

 Balfour drew attention to some beautiful paintings of flowers from 

 Spitzbergen, by Madame de Ramsay, a Swedish lady botanist, who is 

 at present engaged in illustrating a work on the flora of that island. — 

 Mr. C. W. Peach exhibited a specimen of Xanthium spinosum, which 

 he had gathered last autumn on the banks of the Tweed at Gratton- 

 side. This is one of the wool introductions. — *' Report on the Open 

 Air Vegetation." By James Mc^N'ab. In spite of the severity of the 

 winter, comparatively little injury has been done to the vegetation. 

 The small number of plants in flower on the 1st of January is in 

 marked contrast to that of the same day last year. In 1875 the only 

 blossoms obtainable were Jasminum nudiflorum, four species of E.elle- 

 horus, and Gentiana acaulis ; whilst in 1874 no less than 138 species 

 and vars. were collected in flower.— '' Demonstrations on the Em- 

 bryogeny of Tropmolam speciosum." By Prof. Alexander Dickson. 

 Prof. Dickson gave an interesting account of the results of some of 

 his investigations on the development of the embryo of the above 

 plant. (See Trans. Edin. Bot. Soc, vol. vii., p. 417.) The paper 

 was fully illustrated with diagrams, photographs on glass, and mi- 

 croscopical preparations, by means of which the successive stages in 

 the ^^development of the embryo could be traced, and the production 

 of two anomalous pro-embryonic processes which may be called the 

 ♦* carpellary root " and the "placental root." There are differences 

 observable in the direction and behaviour of these processes 

 in the three species of Tropaolum examined, T. majm, T. peregrinum 

 and T. speciosum. In T. majus the " carpellary root " penetrates the 

 seed-coats, and runs down on their outside, usually without penetrat- 

 ing the carpellary tissues. In T. peregrinum this process habitually 

 penetrates the substance of the carpel ; whilst in T. speciosum it does 

 80 directly on emerging from the embryo-cavity. In T. majus there seems 



