430 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



the tube as far up as the extent of the contracted portion at the base, 

 above this uniting- into a tube, red and glabrous; anthers leaden-colour- 

 ed, cohering into a curved tube, the two lower bearded with white hairs 

 at the apex, the three upper having a very few similar hairs in the com- 

 missures. Style incased by the stamens, projecting beyond the an- 

 thers, glabrous, red ; stigma of two blunt revolute lobes ; rjenncn infe- 

 rior, green, glabrous, and with a free conical apex,bilocular ; ovules very 

 numerous, small, on large central placenta:. 



Seedling plants of this species were received at the garden of the Caledo- 

 nian Horticultural Society from Mr Low of Clapton in September 

 1839. They grew to the height of five feet last year in the stove with- 

 out flowering ; cuttings were formed, these rooted readily, and, when of 

 a small size, flowered in February 1841. We possess the plant at the 

 Botanic Garden, also from Mr Low. It is kept in the greenhouse, and 

 is very healthy, but has not yet come into flower. Neither with us nor 

 in the Society's Garden, has it received any particular soil or treatment. 



This is a true piphocampylus, and altogether unlike the plants known in 

 cultivation, as EHpkccampylus bieolor and 8. Cavanilksti, which are true 

 Lobelias. 



Proceedings of (he Poycd Society of Edinburgh. 



1840, December 7. — Sir T. M. Brisbane, Eart., President, 

 in the Chair. The following communications were read : — 



1. On certain Physiological inferences which may be drawn 



from the study of the Nerves of the Eyeball. By Dr 

 Alison. Part First. 



2. On the Plane and Angle of Polarization at the Surfaces of 



Crystals. By Professor Kelland. 



December 21. — The Right Hon. Lord Greenock, V. P. in 

 the Chair. The following Communications were read : — 



1. On the Polarization of the Chemical Rays of Light, by 



Dr Sutherland, Liverpool. Communicated by the 

 Secretary. 



2. On the Nutrition of Vegetables, by Dr H. R. Madden, 



Penicuik. Part First. Communicated by Dr Christison. 



The object of the author in this part of his investigation, is to 

 shew that the portion of the food of plants which they receive from 

 the soil, and which he endeavours to prove is chemically combined 

 with it, — although to appearance gencrically the same in all soils, — 

 is not composed, as some imagine, of one single proximate principle, 

 the same in all circumstances, but consists of several principles va- 

 rying in their respective proportions in different soils. And he far- 



