288 



for distribution among the members. Much of the Assistant-curator's 

 time has also been employed in the distribution of the Society's du- 

 plicates, especially to foreign members. This work is now nearly com- 

 pleted, the parcels being ready for sending off. A large collection of 

 British plants, which have been accumulating for several years, is 

 now being arranged, and specimens for the Society selected, in order 

 to fill up. the different sections marked out in Mi*. Brand's plan for 

 arranging that part of the Herbarium. A detailed account of the do- 

 nations to the Herbarium and Library will be published in the annual 

 report. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. Dr. Seller read the remainder of his paper, entitled ' Observations 

 on some plants from the shores of Davis' Straits,' begun at the pre- 

 vious meeting. Among the species on which he particularly com- 

 mented were, Stellaria scapigera, Potentilla nana, Saxifraga tricuspi- 

 data, Saxifraga cernua, Saxifraga rivularis, Arnica montana, and Pe- 

 dicularis hirsuta. 



The Stellaria scapigera appeared to be new to the catalogue of Arc- 

 tic plants. Under the name, however, of Stellaria Edwardsii, he had 

 seen, in the Society's collection, what appeared to be the same plant, 

 brought also from the shores of Davis' Straits. He had referred the 

 Potentilla, of which there were several excellent specimens, to Poten- 

 tilla nana, trusting a good deal to the rounded form of the outer sepals 

 of the calyx, which, according to Lehmann, distinguishes this from 

 all the allied species. Of the Saxifraga tricuspidata, the specimens 

 were several and well marked, agreeing perfectly with the descriptions 

 of that Arctic species. Of the Saxifraga cernua the specimens were 

 also rather numerous. As usual, most of these had no flowers ; but 

 in lieu of them little bulbils in the axils of the upper leaves. What 

 is unusual, of the flowered stems one had three flowers, another two. 

 In all these specimens amylaceous scales covered the roots, giving 

 them at first sight no slight resemblance to Saxifraga granulata. The 

 specimens of Saxifraga rivularis might be described as gigantic, being 

 about three inches high ; no doubt, however, could be entertained of 

 their belonging to that species, notwithstanding the defect of the 

 pigmy aspect. The plants referred by Dr. S. to Arnica montana dif- 

 fered much from the specimens of that species produced in the more 

 temperate parts of Europe, and as this striking difference of aspect 

 had raised some doubt at the previous meeting, he entered at some 

 length on the characters by which it appeared that these specimens 

 belonged to the genus Arnica. In the specimens of Pedicularis hir- 



