356 Proceedings of the Royal Society. 
with the GEnanthe of Woolwich, shewing that there also it is a 
powerful poison to the lower animals. Climate seemed to the 
author to furnish the only adequate explanation of these extraordi- 
nary differences ; yet the plant grows in all parts of Scotland with 
great luxuriance. 
3. Cicuta virosa, Water-hemlock.—This species has been also 
held to be a deadly poison ever since an express treatise on its effects 
was published by Wepfer in 1716; and repeated instances of its 
fatal action have been observed since, and some of these very re- 
cently, in Germany. The root is the only part which has given 
occasion to accidents ; it has proved fatal in two hours and a half. 
Nevertheless, this plant too seems innocuous in Scotland, or nearly 
so, although, like the last species, it grows with great luxuriance. 
The juice of a pound of the roots collected in the end of July, while 
the plant was in full flower, produced no narcotic symptoms ; and 
the only effects observed, namely, efforts to vomit, might have arisen 
from the operation which is necessary to secure the juice in the 
stomach. An alcoholic extract of the leaves collected at the same 
time, and a similar preparation made with two ounces of the full- 
grown seeds, while still green and juicy, had no effect whatever when 
introduced into the cellular tissue of a rabbit, except that inflamma- 
tion was excited where the extract was applied. 
4. The author has not yet had an opportunity of trying the effects 
of the fourth species, Athusa cynapium, or fool’s- parsley. 
Monday 18th December 1843. 
Dr ABERCROMBIBE, Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read : 
1. A description of Congenital Malformation of the Auricle 
and External Meatus of both sides in three persons, 
with Experiments on the state of Hearing in them, and 
Remarks on the mode of Hearing by Conduction through 
the hard parts of the Head in general. By Professor 
Allen Thomson. 
2. On the Luminousness of the Sea. By Dr Traill. 
Tuesday, 2d January 1844. 
Dr ABERCROMBIE, Vice-President, in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read :— 
}. On the Fossil Vegetables of the Sandstone of Ayrshire, 
illustrative of a series of them, as a Donation for the 
Society's Museum. By J. Shedden Patrick, F.R.S.E., 
F.R.S.S.A., &e- 
