502 Mr Lindsay's Report on Open-Air Vegetation, [sess. lhi. 



Eoses and Primroses. The Holly is the most conspicuous 

 plant in fruit out-of-doors, the berries being abundant 

 and well coloured. 



On the rock-garden a good many plants are still in 

 flower, but eight species only began to flower during 

 November, viz., Gyntrium arycntcuDi, Schizosti/lis coccinea, 

 Farochcetus communis, Tricyrtis hirta, Gypsophila Bohoj^ka, 

 Knipliofia Savrndcrsi, and Aster species. 



Decevibcr. — Like the preceding mouth, December has been 

 remarkable for the extreme mildness of weather which pre- 

 vailed. The thermometer was at or below the freezing-point 

 on thirteen occasions, the aggregate of frost registered being 

 57° only, as against 132° for the same month of 1887, and 

 not since 1883 has this period of the year been so mild. 

 The lowest readiugs occurred on the 11th, 24°; 19th, 26°; 

 27th, 26°; 30th, 17°; 31st, 24°. The lowest day tempera- 

 ture was 32°, on the 30th ; and the highest 57°, on the 3rd. 

 No snow and comparatively little rain fell. Not a single 

 plant came into flower on the rock-garden during December, 

 other than those previously recorded. The total number of 

 species and marked varieties of alpine and dwarf-growing 

 herbaceous plants which have flowered in the rock-garden 

 during the entire year amounts to 1542, being 134 more 

 than during 1887. This result has been attained by the 

 addition of new plants to the collection from various sources, 

 more than from any favourable circumstances connected 

 with the weather of the past year. The largest number of 

 species came into flower during May and June. The number 

 of species which flowered each month during 1888 was as 

 follows : — January, 24 ; February, 29 ; March, 64 ; April, 

 137; May, 367; June, 430; July, 276; August, 140; 

 Septeml)er, 48 ; October, 19 ; November, 8 ; December, ; 

 total, 1542. 



January 1889. — The weather throughout tlie montli was 

 again unusually mild for the season. Rain fell more or 

 less on nine days oidy, no snow fell, and out-door work 

 suffered no interruption during the month. The ther- 

 mometer was at or below the freezing-point on fourteen 

 occasions, the aggregate amount of frost registered being 57°, 

 as against 67° for the corresponding month last year. The 

 lowest readings occurred on the 1st, 28°; 2nd, 21°; 7th, 



