56 



ther with three species of the former and four of the latter. These 

 minute beings are found in bogs and boggy pools. Almost contem- 

 poraneous with Mr. Ralfs' observations are those of Mr. White, who, 

 in the ' Transactions of the Microscopical Society,' has described and 

 figured as animals, certain fossilized spores of these obscure plants. 



On Helianthemum guttatum, noticed in our last number, the editor 

 gives the following note. " I possess a specimen of the true H. gut- 

 tatum, gathered by Miss H. Townsend, at Three-castle Head, near 

 Crookhaven, in the county of Cork, one of the extreme south-western 

 points of Ireland, and thus restore it to its place in the British Flora, 

 of which it has only just been deprived. The Anglesea plant called 

 H. Breweri by Dr. Planchon, has bracteated pedicels and obovate 

 lower leaves, but H. guttatum has no bracts and oblong lanceolate 

 leaves. It is singular that all our botanists should have overlooked 

 these very obvious distinctions, but probably the extreme rarity of the 

 plants, and the small and usually imperfect state of the specimens 

 from Anglesea, may somewhat account for it. — C. C. B." 



Elaline hexandra and hydropiper. " I find that I have fallen into 

 a mistake concerning the discovery of these plants in Surrey. Mr. 

 Newnham does not claim their discovery, which I am informed is due 

 to Mr. Walter Reeves.— C. C. B." 



No. 95. contains ' Memoirs on Geographic Botany. By Richard 

 Brinsley Hinds, Surgeon R.N., F.R.C.S.' and 'Description of a New 

 Species of Melanogaster. By C. E. Broome, Esq.' This is thus cha- 

 racterized : — 



" Melanogaster Berkeleianus, n. s. Parvus, globosus, longe radi- 

 catus; peiidio sericeo albo, tactu gilvo fusco, intus pallide flavo; spo- 

 ils minutis oblongo-ellipticis hyalinis albis, binucleatis." It grew "in 

 a loose soil, in a wood composed of hazel, beech, and firs, in October 

 last," but the author does not mention where. 



Besides these articles there is a short extract fi-om the Comptes 

 Rendus, but both numbers are particularly barren of matter connected 

 with British Botany. 



Proceedings of Societies. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



December 12, 1844. — The Society this day held its first meeting 

 for the session ; Dr. Seller in the chair. 



Numerous donations to the library and museum were announced, 

 particularly from Dr. Eraser, Algoa Bay, eleven volumes of botanical 



