1G2 Miscellaneous Contributions and 



A specimen of Foxglove, 8 feet 10 inches high, and of "Wallflower, 

 8 feet 1 inch high, were shown from Dr Paterson, Bridge of Allan ; 

 and a specimen of Foxglove, 10 feet high, from Mr Girdwood, 

 Tanfield. 



A portion of the stem of Eucalyptus glohnlus, from Colintraive, 

 Kyles of Bute {Trans., vol. xiv., p. Ixvi), which had succumbed 

 during the winter of 1881, after growing upwards of 47 feet high, 

 sent by Colonel Campbell, 



A section of the wood of the same tree, from K"ew Zealand, grown 

 in the cold conservatory at Carlowrie, Linlithgowshire, by Mr R. 

 Hutchison. It was planted some years ago, and had grown at the 

 rate of 4 feet in. a year, though twice beheaded to prevent the 

 breakage of the glass roof ; it was then 2.5 feet high. 



April 12. 



Exhibition of Lichens, chiefly from Ayrshire, by Mr Archibald 

 Gray. These included a series of forms of the genus Spjhaero- 

 phoroji, Pers. ; also Parmelia sinuosa, Sm., from Mulloch Hill, 

 DaUly; and P. caperata, L., from the Water of Doon, at Holly- 

 busK, Dalrymple. Collected by the exhibitor in March 1883. 



Professor Dickson exhibited specimens of an Epacris (Lady Pan- 

 mure), sent by Mr Charles S. France, from his greenhouse at 

 Balboughty, near Perth, showing median prolification of the flowers, 

 from which leafy shoots of considerable length extended themselves. 

 This form of abnormality has abeady been noticed as occurring in 

 Epacris by Dr Masters in his Vegetable Teratology, p. 137. 



Mr Symington Grieve exhibited a small branch of dead birch 

 wood from the island of Colonsay, on which had grown intermixed 

 the two mosses Ulota crispa, Hedw., and Ulota pjliyllantha, Bud. — 

 the former being in fruit, and the latter, whose fruit is unknown, 

 being in its usual barren state, but having gemmae at the apex of 

 the leaves. The branch was exhibited to show in what close 

 association these two mosses may at times grow ; and as their foliage 

 is somewhat similar in appearance to the eye, unless examined micr'^ 

 scopically, to warn botanists from concluding they have found the 

 fruit of Ulota phyllantlia until they have examined the areolation 

 and base of the leaf. In Ulota crispa the large diaphanous cells at 

 the base of the leaf are in three to five rows, whereas in Ulota 

 phyllantha there is a single row. Again, the last-named moss has 

 gemmai usually at the apex of the leaves, while in Ulota crispa 

 they are absent, and the leaves of this moss are of a dilated ovoid 

 form at the base, which is not the case with those of Ulota pjhyl- 

 lantha. Both these mosses are widely distributed throughout 

 Britain, growing on trees, and also sometimes on rocks, and appear 



