Mat 1891.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 121 



On Temperature and Vegetation at the Eoyal Botanic 

 Garden, Edinburgh, during the Month of April. By 

 Egbert Lindsay, Curator of the Garden. 



The month of April was very cold and dry, with easterly 

 wind predominating. Vegetation generally has been kept 

 in check, and at the close of the month was in a very back- 

 ward condition. The thermometer was at or below the 

 freezing point on thirteen occasions ; the total amount of 

 frost registered was 56°, as against 54° for April 1890. The 

 lowest readings were on the mornings of the 1st, 20° ; 14th, 

 26°; 15th, 27°; 19th, 23° ; 21st, 25°; 27th, 26°. The 

 lowest day temperature was 41° on the 6th, and the highest 

 64° on the 30th. The collective amount of frost registered 

 this season, up to the end of April, is 611°, as against 364° 

 for the same period last year. The following is the distri- 

 bution for each month : — 



October, 19° of frost ; November, 80°; December, 121°; 

 January, 126°; February, 79°; March, 130° ; April, 56°. 

 The lowest point reached this season was 15° Fahr., or 17° 

 of frost, which occurred on 9th March. 



On the Eock-garden 119 species and varieties came into 

 flower during the month, being thirty-one less than for last 

 April. 



Among the more interesting were — Dentaria pentaphylla, 

 Epigcca repcns, Erythronmm, gigantcum. Ibcris petra'a, Nar- 

 cissus calathinus, N. cystettensis, N. nivalis, and the varieties of 

 N. Pseudo-Narcissus, Primula intermedia, P. p<^demontana, 

 Trollius acavlis, Trillium erectum, Xanthorrhiza ajjiifolia. A 

 good many plants have suffered severely from drought to an 

 extent never before observed so early in the season. Large 

 plants of Menzicsia, Bryanthus, Erica, and Genista have been 

 completely destroyed, while small plants are uninjured. 

 Among the plants injured by the severe frost in March, Cu- 

 pressus Laivsoniana erecta viridis must be added. Dacrydium 

 Franklinii has also suffered, but not to the same extent. 



Of the forty spring-flowering plants, whose dates of 

 flowering are annually recorded, the following came into 

 flower : — 



Erythronium Dens-canis on April 6 ; Corydalis solida on 

 April 9 ; Hyoscyamus Scopolia on April 10 ; Aubrietia 



