486 TRA.XSACTIOXS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lx. 



about 3 or 4 feet deep — and iu many places covers the 

 bottom of the loch to a considerable extent. It is an 

 exceedingly pretty object when seen growing, or even when 

 floating on the surface after being pulled. It appears never 

 to reach the surface of the water, although sometimes 

 2 feet in length. I dredged it up from deep water with 

 my alpinestock and its iron hook. It has grass-like leaves, 

 and though many specimens were obtained, neither flower 

 nor fruit could be found. I have come to the conclusion 

 that it never flowers in deep water. It appears to be a 

 plant which, instead of flowers, develops young plants, and 

 is in fact viviparous. Specimens of the plant are now 

 growing in the pond in the Eoyal Botanic Garden, and 

 several members of the Club have also plants in cultiva- 

 tion in the hope of some of the specimens flowering, which 

 would at once determine the species. Mr. Fryer, of 

 Chatteris, a great grower of water plants, has also the 

 plants growing, but is unable to determine it. Dried 

 specimens of the plant have been submitted to Professor 

 Balfour, Professor Bower, and others, but I fear until some 

 one succeeds in flowering the plants, the doubts of some of 

 the members will not be removed. 



On the same day I gathered some curious specimens of 

 Juncus hufonius, all growing under water, and all becom- 

 ing viviparous, the more marked the farther from the 

 .shore, and consequently in deeper water. After finding 

 these specimens of undoubted Juncus hufonius, I suggested 

 the idea that it might be an abnormal form of that plant. 

 But from the careful examination of specimens of the 

 plant by Mr. Burrage, it appears to be a species of Scirpus. 

 It is, however, to be hoped that the plant will flower in 

 cultivation. 



Saturday, 10 th August. — This morning the meetings of 

 the Club came to an end for the present, and all the 

 members returned home. On reaching Tyndrum station 

 we found that the Caledonian Piailway officials had a fine 

 saloon carriage provided for our special use, which brought 

 us to Edinburgh, and thus ended a very pleasant meeting. 



On the Male Flower of Nepentltes hicalcarata. By 

 J. H. Burr AGE, B.A. 



