TlIK Vr.nKTAHLK ESKMIES OF ^fANKIXr). :^3 



place of residence, a green fieltl." Blar means "a plain, a field " 

 Blath means " a field." The Roman name Blaluin Bolgium then 

 means " tlie field or the town of the Bolgae or Belgae." The 

 Roman emperors stationed a legion of their Belgian subjects 

 there, consisting of the tribe of tlie Tnngri and, maj'be, other 

 Belgllhis. The natives called the station the " hlath or hlat of 

 the Belgians," and tlie Romans latinised the word into Blatnm 

 Bcilgiuni, or the " Belgian Settlement." 



20th April, 1900. 

 Mr James Baurour, V.P., in the Chair. 



Npao Memher. — ^Mr Alexander L. David.son, Clarenrefield. 



Donations and Exchanges. — Tran.sactions of th(> Cardiff" 

 Naturalists' Society ; Proceedings of the Natural Science 

 Association of Staten Island ; Boletin del Instituto Geologies de 

 Mexico, No. 13. 



A paper on " The Artists of the Ruthwell Cross " was read hy 

 Mr A. L. Davidson. 



i8th May, 1900. 

 Mr RoBKFiT Mlrray, Y.P., in the Chair. 



Nevj Members. — Miss Cresswell, Nunholm House ; Mr James 

 Laidlaw ; Mr \Yilliam Carswell. 



Donations and Exchanges. — The Transactions of the Marl- 

 l)orough Natural History Society ; Bennett's Contributions 

 towards a Flora of Caithness. — III. 



Communication's. 



The Vegetable Enemies of Mankind. 



By Professor Scott-Elliot. 



Dr Johnson defines an enemy as "a per.son Avho regards you 

 with malevolence." and Daniel Webster as " a person actuated 

 by unfriendly feelings, one who hates, wishes injury, or attempts 

 to do injury." It is not in this sense that any plant can be said 

 to be an enemy to mankind ; but only in the sense that for the 

 sake of its own protection or benefit in one way or another, it is 



