Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 153 



is a glen called Blackburnrigg Dean, about a quarter of a mile from 

 Grant's Station of the N. British Railway. It offers nothing to the 

 eye, yet there are a number of good plants in it, such as Melica 

 nutans, Helosciadium inundatum, Pyrola media, Chrysosplenium alterni- 

 folium, Sedum villosum, Rubus saxatilis, Trientalis europaa, Carduus 

 nutans, Listera cordata, Botrychium Lunaria. Poterium Sanguisorba 

 grows near Barmouth Station, south from Eyemouth. [This plant 

 was found abundantly near St. Abb's Head, by Dr. Balfour's party, 

 two years ago.] Ranunculus arvensis, Lythrum Salicaria, Galium 

 boreale, and G. Mollugo, grow near Swinton, and Ophioglossum vul- 

 gatum near Coldstream, this last being new to the Berwickshire flora. 



2. " A short Notice of East Lothian Plants," by J. C. Howden, 

 Esq. In this paper the author mentions the occurrence of Weissia 

 nigrita on Gullane Links ; and gives a list of plants found by him in 

 various parts of East Lothian ; at Presmennan Lake, Typha latifolia, 

 Scutellaria galericulata and Carex intermedia. On the banks of Whit- 

 tingham Water, Saponaria officinalis, Cichorium Intybus, Malva 

 vioschata and Hyoscyamus nigcr. In Ormiston Woods, Valeriana py- 

 renaica, Convallaria multiflora. Polygonum Bistorta. In Prestonhall 

 Woods, Helleborus foetidus has become naturalized ; and on the side 

 of the road between Whittingham and Stenton, Asperula taurina has 

 fixed itself. 



3. " Notice of Piassaba, a fibrous matter, from South America, 

 used for the manufacture of ropes," &c., by Dr. Balfour. This fibrous 

 matter was sent to Dr. Balfour by Mr. Michael Connal of Glasgow. 

 It is used for the purposes of manufacture in London, and is im- 

 ported from Bahia, Pernambuco, &c. Dr. Balfour gave a general 

 account of the fibrous matter yielded by Palms, and alluded to the 

 microscopic structure of their woody bundles. He illustrated his 

 remarks by specimens of fibre from the cocoa-nut palm, sago palm, 

 talipot palm, Livistona chinensis, and various sjjecies of Chamcerops 

 and Corypha growing in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. He stated 

 that Dr. Arnott had examined the Piassaba fibre, and referred it to 

 the Attalea funifera of Martius. The palm is the Cocos de Piacaba 

 of Prince Maximilian's Travels. It attains a height of twenty or 

 thirty feet, and has pinnated fronds fifteen or twenty feet long. The 

 fibres of the petioles and spathes, after maceration, are used for 

 forming very tenacious cables, which resist well the action of salt 

 water. The black fibrous matter resembling whalebone, which is 

 connected with the leaves, has been employed for forming brushes. 

 Specimens of this manufacture were exhibited, also a large drawing 

 of the palm. The fruit of this palm, under the name of Coquilla 

 nuts, is imported into this country. The pericarp is thick and hard, 

 and is used for making handles for umbrellas, drawers, &c. When 

 examined under the microscope, it shows thickened cells very much 

 resembling those seen in bone, the thickening matter being depo- 

 sited in concentric circles. The seeds have an oily albumen, and a 

 kind of solid palm oil is formed from them. Specimens of the nuts, 

 and the articles made from them, as well as of the solid oil, were 

 shown. 



4. " Algae Orientales " (part 5), by Dr. Greville. In this paper 



