1897-98-] Conversazione. 389 



rocks near the waterfall in the Pentlands ; and in the burn 

 beside the waterfall Fontinalis squamosa in fine fruit in April ; 

 while near the same place was Tortula princeps in fruit, with 

 Barbula fallax above the waterfalls. Mnium subglobosum 

 was gathered by Mr Scott and myself near Swanston in fine 

 fruit : it is a very distinct moss. Another pretty moss, 

 Hypnum cresta-castrensis, is to be found near Balerno Moss. 

 Scarcely any one could pass this plant without admiring it, as 

 it is a large and pretty moss. On Craiglockhart Hill we have 

 gathered many fine mosses, among which were Bryurn roseum, 

 Zygodon viridissimus, and Ehynchostegum tenellum, a very 

 small Hypnum. 



I think it is to be regretted that so few of the members of 

 this Society make collections of these lovely plants. They 

 take up little space, being mostly small, but they are well 

 worth the attention of any one. 



CONVERSAZIONE, AND MICROSCOPIC AND 

 NATURAL HISTORY EXHIBITION 



By Mr WM. WILLIAMSON. 



On 29th October 1897 the Society opened its 30th Session 

 with a conversazione. Owing to the unavoidable absence of 

 the President, the chair was taken by Dr Sprague, ex-Presi- 

 dent, who, after the reception, gave an address reviewing 

 briefly the great advances which had been made in scientific 

 knowledge since the Society held its last conversazione ten 

 years ago. During the evening Mr T. C. Day gave a series 

 of demonstrations on the X-rays by means of Crookes' 

 tubes and also vacuum tubes which he had made specially 

 for the purpose. The value of the X-rays in surgery was 

 demonstrated when a leaden pellet lodged in Mr Speedy's 

 hand was clearly shown. At the same time Mr Day showed 

 by means of the spectroscope the new gases Argon and 

 Helium, tubes of which had been loaned to us by Professor 

 Ptamsay, who is associated with the discovery of these ele- 



