Transactions. 



wheat to have forty heads, and the oats as many as thirty, on the 

 one plant 



Communications. 

 I First Blossoming of Wild Floioers in Tynron during the 

 Suvwier Mo,iths of 1882 and 1883. By Mr James Shaw. 

 This paper was read by Mr Wilson. The writer stated that the 

 area included in his observations was at an elevation of from 300 

 to 1400 feet above sea level. The soil of the district is thm, well 

 adapted for sheep pasture, and the geological formation is 

 Silurian and conglomerate. There are no fields of wheat, barley, 

 or rye ; but oats, turnips, ryegrass, and potatoes are grown. Mr 

 Shaw's list of plants recorded the dates when first noticed during 

 the two seasons, from which it appeared that the year 188.3 was 

 much later than 1882. The month of February, 1883, was 

 exceedingly mild, and induced the Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) 

 to blossom. March, however, was cold and backward, with 

 cutting frosty winds, so that in the beginning of April plants ot 

 Tussilago might be seen surrounded by the withered petals of the 

 first crop. In his concluding remarks, Mr Shaw says " that the 

 marsh marigold, the stitcli-wort, and the common broom are thus 

 found a week behind in 1883,; the spring blue-bell ( scilla nutans ) 

 and the marsh violet (V. Palustris) are noticed a fortnight later 

 in 1883. The early orchis plants (0. mascula) were m blossom 

 in April 1882, but not noticed until the third week of May, 

 1883 Geuni rivale is equally behind. Some of the flowers 

 noticed in blossom in the first week of June, 1882, are not noticed 

 until the third week of June, 1883. Generally speaking, the 

 vanguard of any given species came to the front a fortnight later 

 in 1883." 



II. Fates on the National Collection of Antiquities in the 



Museiim at Edinburgh. By Mr G. F. Black. 

 In this communication, which was read by the Secretary, the 

 writer briefly described the foreign section of the museum, and 

 promised to contribute a paper on the Scottish Antiquities at a 

 future meeting. 



III. Notes on the Natural History of Southport. By Dr J. 



Gilchrist, Fresident. 

 In tlie course of this paper, Dr Gilchrist mentioned that 



