326 Botanical Society of Edinburgh, ; \ 



M'Nab. Seeds sent from the Botanic Gardin, Edinburgh, in Sep- 

 tember 1851, had been planted by the Hon. Edward Chitty, ai^^ 

 Kingston, in a tank prepared for the purpose, and the plant had 

 grown vigorously and had flowered well. 



February 10. — Professor Balfour, President, in the Chair. ,^ 



The following papers were read : — !i 



1 . " Remarks on British Plants," by Charles C. Babington, M.A., yt 

 F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. This paper will be found in the present Num- dj 

 ber of the 'Annals,' and in the Society's Transactions. b 



2. "On the Dyeing Properties of the Lichens — Part 2," by W. - 

 L. Lindsay, M.D. In this paper and that read at the preceding 

 meeting, the author gave a short but comprehensive view of the pre- 

 sent state of the different branches of Lichenology in this country . ) 

 and on the continent, and showed, from the aggregate amount of in- 

 formation which is at present possessed thereupon, the great neces- 

 sity there still exists for renewed and extended experimental investi- 

 gation. He then considered — 1 . The vast importance of this humble 

 tribe of plants in the grand ceconomy of nature, as the pioneers and 

 founders of all vegetation. 2. Their importance to man and the 

 lower animals, as furnishing various articles of food. 3. Their im- 

 portance in medicine, and especially in its past historj'^, at home and 

 abroad. 4. Their importance in the useful and fine arts, and espe- 

 cially in the art of dyeing. 5. Their affinities and analogies to other 

 cryptogamic families, and to the Phanerogamia. 6. Their value as 

 an element of the picturesque in nature ; and, 7. Their typical sig- 

 nificance. 



He then adverted more specially to the subject of his communica- 

 tion, under the ten following heads : — 



I. The colours of the thallus and apothecia of Lichens — their causes, 



and the circumstances which modify and alter them. 



II. History of the application of their colouring matters to the art 



of dyeing. 



III. Chemical nature and general properties of these colouring 

 matters. 



IV. Tests and processes for estimating qualitativeh^ and quantitatively 

 the colorific powers of individual species — with their practical "J 

 applications. 



V. Processes of manufacture of the Lichen-dj'es, on the large and 



small scale, in different countries — with the principles on which 

 they are founded. 



VI. Nomenclature of the dye- Lichens, and of the Lichen-dyes. 



VII. Botanical and commercial sources of the same. 



VIII. Special applications of the Lichen-dyes in the arts. * 



IX. Commercial value of the dye-Lichens, and their products. ' '^ 



X. Geographical distribution of the dye-Lichens — with the effecitiOpJ^-' 



climate, situation, &c., on their coloi'ific materials. '■ '.'^i'* 



Four of these sections were elaborately treated at these two Meet- 

 ings, and the others left for notice at a future opportunity. 



