Proceedings of Societies. 173 



To conclude, the colour of the Red Snow is not without analogy among 

 the Alga. In autumn, as is well known, there is produced on shady walls a 

 green powdery substance, composed of globules, which afterwards, accord- 

 ing to circumstances, change either into Oscillatoria muralis, or into Ulva 

 crispa. This substance comes nearest to Lepraria kermesina. Farther, 

 it has a great affinity with Tremella cruenta, E. Bot. (which must not be 

 confounded with Ulva montana of Lightfoot) : both are red, and both con- 

 sist of globules ; but Lepraria kermesina differs in this particular, that its 

 globules are free, not sunk in a gelatine. I have accordingly placed Lepra- 

 ria kermesina of Wrangel in my Sy sterna Algarum as a peculiar genus, un- 

 der the name of Protococcus kermtsinus. 



If my views of the origin of this substance, which may be called the 

 Blossoms of the Snow, (Blume des Schnee's,) be correct, our surprise will 

 not be diminished, though the object of it may be changed. If we can no 

 longer believe, that the Infusoria or Alga drop from the clouds, we must 

 nevertheless allow, that the snow of a whole district of mountains, may, 

 in a few days, be covered by a red vegetation, of a very different appearance 

 from that of its own dazzling whiteness. We cannot, indeed, cease to won- 

 I der at the power that is active on every point of the earth's surface, and 

 , fills even the snow of winter with life and vegetation. It is generally 

 known, that the colour of the vegetable kingdom becomes duller and paler 

 the less powerful is the light that shines upon them ; and that the fields 

 of the north are ornamented with few attractive colours, while those of the 

 tropics glow with the most splendid. But even the north comes nearer to 

 the source of light by means of its Alps, and as it were, heightens the in- 

 tensity of its beams by its snows; so that even the winter can sometimes 

 produce the same effect as the warmest summer. Nature, in all the dif- 

 ferent and variable forms which she assumes, is in one thing only alike ; 

 she is ever new, and ever worthy of admiration. 



Art. XXXI.— PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



1. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 

 November 14, 1825. — The Royal Society resumed its sittings for the 

 winter. 



A paper by Ur Yule was read, entitled Some Observations on Subter- 

 ranean Plants, with a Specimen and Drawing of a nondescript Rhizoinorpha, 

 November c 28lh. — At a General Meeting of the Society, held this day, 

 the following Office-bearers were elected : — 



Sir Walter Scott, Bart., President. 

 Right Hon. Lord Chief-Baron, -\ 

 Lord Glenlee, f 



Dr T. C. Hope, C Vice-Preudenta. 



Professor Russell, ) 



Dr Brewster, Secretary. 

 Thomas Allan, Esq. Treasurer- 



