124 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



class of immigrants it may be sufficient to mention 

 Mimulus luteals, Claytonia alsinoides, Anacharis 

 canadensis, Iinpatiens fidva, Senecio saracenicus, 

 Reseda alba, Anchusa officinalis, JBorago officinalis, 

 Linum usitatissimum, Medicago sativa, Centranthus 

 ruber, Alyssxim calycinum, Corydalis lutea, Astrantia 

 major, Coriandrum sativum, Phalaris canariensis, 

 Doronicum, and Vinca. Not a few members of our 

 flora owe their presence in this, country, or in 

 particular districts, to the reputation they formerly 

 enjoyed as yielding medicinal remedies. A number 

 of these occur in the neighbourhood of ruined castles 

 or abbeys. This class of monkish plants includes 

 Peucedanum Osti~tithiti7n, Rumex alpinus, Matricaria 

 Chainomilla, Teucrium, Chamcedrys, Atropa Bella- 

 donna, and possibly Arum, macxdatum and a num- 

 ber of others. The " culling of simples " by the 

 herbalists among the monks and friars of a former 

 day has left its impress on the flora of our 

 country. Could we read aright the story of the 

 plants around us we should probably discover 

 that they had something to tell us of every great 

 change that has passed over our country in the 

 course of its history. For doubtless we have 

 species that accompanied the Danish and Saxon 

 invaders, as well as more aristocratic plants that 

 came over with the Conqueror. Certain plants — 

 Rutnex and Urtica among others — occur most fre- 

 quently in the vicinity of human dwellings. Children 

 pulling fruits and flowers for playthings may 

 account for the appearance or disappearance of 

 certain plants round about inhabited houses. Seeds 

 may also be conveyed by domestic animals, or be 

 brought by birds that in winter approach near the 

 abodes of men. And the question arises: Do there 

 not exist seeds which have become adapted to 

 dispersion through human agency alone? This is 

 really not more improbable than that certain animal 

 parasites should be confined to man. To answer 

 this question fully would require an intimate 



