PROVISIONAL REPORTS, AND NOTICES. 445 
distributed. A Sub-Committee, consisting of Mr. Thompson, 
Mr. Ball and Mr. Forbes, examined a considerable portion of 
the west coast of Ireland; Mr. Patterson undertook the exami- 
nation of the north-east coast of the same country; and Mr. 
Forbes dredged the coasts of the Isle of Man. The results of 
these researches were very satisfactory, and the products in 
every case carefully noted down in the printed formule. The 
Committee recommend further researches, and propose that 
the dredging-papers be laid by for the present, until a sufficient 
amount of data be obtained to warrant the publication of a sum- 
mary of their contents. 
On the recommendation (a grant adopted in 1839) for en- 
graving Skeleton Maps for recording the distribution of Plants 
and Animals, the Committee reported at length the measures 
they have taken for executing these maps, on certain prin- 
ciples, believed to be of undoubted importance. They have 
caused three maps to be prepared and lithographed, one of 
the British Isles, and one of each hemisphere. The work was 
entrusted to Mr. Nichol, the lithographer, under the superin- 
tendence of Mr. Brand. This member of the Committee having 
been for some time engaged in preparing tables or catalogues 
for the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, which should include 
a variety of topographical details, it was thought proper to 
carry on both these plans together. On the maps, the details 
chiefly sought to be given with fulness are the river and moun- 
tain systems, the measures of the chief elevations, and important 
lakes. The maps are not yet considered by the Committee, 
though repeatedly revised, to be complete; but they recom- 
mend that, after having been finally settled, copies should be 
printed off, and sold at the lowest remunerating price to all who 
may wish copies for natural history purposes. As an illustra- 
tion of the way in which these maps may be usefully employed, 
the Botanical Society of Edinburgh caused to be represented 
in coloured outlines on their maps, from another stone, the ‘sec- 
tions’ of the earth’s surface, which are an important part of the 
system of arranging botanical information before alluded to. 
The numbers being attached to the several sections on the 
map so coloured, immediate reference can be made to the cata- 
logue sheets which have been prepared for botanical registra- 
tion by the Botanical Society. (Copies of the maps and cata- 
logue sheets were presented to the meeting.) 
