Nov. 189-2.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUIIGIT. 535 



tree sprung, it is said, from the above tree " (meaning the 

 lioyal tree). It also referred to previous inscriptions, 

 from which it is plain that the original tree disappeared 

 soon after 1787. Indeed, Dr. Stukely informs us that in 

 1713 "the tree was in the middle almost cut away by 

 people who came to see it." 



"Wallace Oaks. — Two oaks Inive been associated with 

 the name of the Scottish hero. The Ellekslie Oak. — 

 According to the legend, " Sir "William Wallace and 300 

 of his men hid themselves among its branches from the 

 English " (Semple's continuation of Crawford's History of 

 Ilenfrewshire, 1788). But its trunk is described as being 

 " about 1 2 feet in circumference," an altogether trifling 

 girth for a tree reputed to be then five centuries old. 

 Strutt, 1826, gives the girth as 13 feet 2 inches. The 

 ToRWOOD Wallace Oak was estimated by Dr. Walker in 

 1775 to have been 22 feet in girth at 4 feet up, but only 

 one longitudinal half of the trunk remained, and it has 

 long entirely disappeared. 



Historic Hawthorns. — A thorn is credited with having 

 witnessed the death of Lord Maxwell at the battle of Dryfe 

 Sands, and several have been associated w^ith Mary Queen 

 of Scots, but it is scarcely possible that any hawthorn 

 ■could exist for 300 years, as the species rarely exceeds a 

 very moderate size, and my observations show that it grows 

 at a fair averaae rate. 



PtEroRT ON Temperature and Vegetation in the Eoyal 

 Botanic Garden, during July, August, September, and 

 •October 1892. By Kobert Lindsay, Curator of the 

 •Garden. 



JULY. 



The weather of July was, for the most part, cool and 

 unsettled, with heavy falls of rain, and with one or two 

 gales of much severity for the time of year. The lowest 

 night temperature was 40°, which occurred on the 10 th of 

 the month, and the highest 54°, on the 31st. The lowest 

 •day temperature was 55°, on the 12th, and the highest 70°, 



