412 



plicata, Barkhausia setosa, &c., specimens of these, and of Silene 

 italica, from two Scotch stations, were exhibited to the meeting. 



Dr. Balfour read a short notice from Dr. R. C. Alexander, relative 

 to the Flora of Sicily. Dr. Alexander regards the Sicilian Flora as 

 not an aboriginal one, but as derived from Africa on the one side, and 

 from Greece and other Mediterranean countries on the other. The 

 plants peculiar to this island are by no means numerous, and the 

 Flora is meagre when compared with that of Dalmatia and other 

 countries on the shores of the Adriatic. In the course of two months' 

 residence in the island Dr. Alexander found only about 250 species 

 which he had not seen in Dalmatia. 



A communication was also read from Dr. Alexander regarding the 

 plants found on the Apennines. He considers the Flora of the Apen- 

 nines from Piedmont downwards, to be also a derived one ; for 

 excepting the genera which occupy fallow land and broken ground, 

 such as Medicago, Ononis, Convolvulus, and sea-shore plants, he 

 fovmd no genus developed, but a species of one type and a species of 

 another, without connecting links. On ascending the mountains, 

 when he got to a region where a magnificent Flora ought to be, he 

 found at most a hardy hill plant that had crept up, but nothing 

 whatever of an alpine nature. 



On the Matese, about forty miles north of Naples, vegetation near- 

 ly ceased at about 6000 feet, and at the top, which is 7000 feet above 

 the level of the sea, and where there is a snow-field that never en- 

 tirely melts, and therefore cold enough for alpine plants, he met with 

 Aubrietia Columnae, (a mere variety of A. deltoides). Ranunculus mon- 

 tanus, a Geranium resembling a Carniolian species, Arab is alpina, an 

 Allium not in flower, Scrophularia glandulosa, and three forms of 

 Saxifraga aizoon, which are reckoned by some as species. In nearly 

 the same latitude, on the other side of the Adriatic, on the Biakovo, 

 near Macarska, in Dalmatia, there is, at the same height, a most inte- 

 resting alpine Flora, and in uiEtolia, in the M. Velugo, one equally 

 so. Dr. Alexander found the Apennines by no means so productive 

 as the Alps of Upper Styria and Upper Corinthia ; and he looks upon 

 the range as probably so recent in its formation, as to be only receiv- 

 ing its alpine Flora gradually from other districts. 



Dr. Balfour also read a communication which he had received fi*om 

 Mr. Campbell, of Islay, relative to mummy wheat, specimens of which 

 were exhibited. The wheat sent by Mr. Campbell resembled what 

 is called Bellevue Talavera. Other specimens of the so called 

 mummy wheat were shown, having all the characteristics of Egyptian 



