wt 



Secretnry.— The chief interest of this paper consisted, as in the case of No. 2, in the contrast afiforded with tlie 

 vegetation of other parts of Britain ; and the author promised to take an early opportunity of extending hii 

 observations on this subject. — Edinburgh Evening Post and Scottish Standard ; January 19, 1842. 

 Thursday, Fchruary 10, 1842. — Professor Graham in the Chair. The following papers were read. 



1. Notices of several Vegetable Monstrosities, with Specimens : transmitted by Mr. H. C. Watson and 

 others. — Some of these monstrosities were veiy interesting, particularly a Geranium {pusillmn?) having the 

 branches terminated by heads or umbels of flowers, through adhesions and excess of parts, — the petals being 

 mostly green or obsolete and the stamens imperfect; Anthriscus sylvestris with the umbels proliferous, which 

 was gathered in the wet autumn of 1839; Linaria repens — varieties growing together, and showing a gradual 

 approach to L. vulgaris ; Anemone nemorosa, having the pistils changed to leaves ; and Galium Aparine 

 presenting a remarkable lusus natnrce, probably caused by insects, the quadi-angular stem being twisted so 

 that the stellate leaves have become secund. 



2. Mr. Goodsir described the Sarcinitla VentricuU, a new vegetable infusorial allied to the genus Goni- 

 vm, which he had found existing in immense numbers in the fluid ejected, for many weeks, from the stomach 

 of a patient labouring under a particular form of indigestion. This fluid was ejected in large quantities at a 



time, and had an appearance similar to that of liquor in a state of fermentation. The plant is microscopic 



of a square form, and having the parts arranged in a beautifully symmetrical manner in the square. The 

 number of cells of which the plant consists is 64 ; it propagates by the division of each of these 64 cells into 4 

 new ones, so as to consist of 2-56 cells — and simultaneously with this iucrease in the number of parts divides 

 spontaneously into four young plants. 



The author then adverted to the extremely rapid increase of the plant by such a mode of propagation • 

 and after some observations on the nature of the disease in which it occurred, and of which it probably eon- 

 stituted the cause, he concluded with remarks on the genera of plants and animals to which the new plant is 

 allied. 



U. On Primula veris and allied species: by the Eev. J. E. Leefe. — Mr. Leefe, after remarking that Pri. 

 mula injlata, Lehm, approaches very near to P. veris, says — " in the woods at Audley End, Essex I find a 

 good deal of what is commonly known as P. elatior intermixed, but sparingly, with primroses and cowslips. 

 It agrees with the character of P. elatior, Jacq., as defined by Koch, but not witli the figure in ' English Bo- 

 tany.' The calyx-teeth are more ovate at the base, and the leaves are those of a cowslip — indeed the teeth are 

 almost precisely the same in form as those of the P. injlata before alluded to. The limb of the corolla is how- 

 ever, equal in breadth to more than half of the tube, and is flat, or nearly so." 



Professor Henslow writes on this subject : — " With respect to the identity of the three common Primulis 

 I consider that no argument can be derived from their keeping distinct, in nature or under culture. It is 



purely a physiological question, whether all of them may not originate from the seeds of any one a question 



which can only be decided by direct experiment. Let a cowslip be highly manured, and its seeds sown in a 

 shady, moist aspect, and I suspect the chances are in favour of some of them coming up as primroses or at 

 least, as oxlips. I have had several independent testimonies to the fact of cowslip roots changing to primro- 

 ses ; and until proof, by direct experiment, contradict the experiments of Mr. Herbert and myself I cannot 

 help believing that the three species (as they are Uiought) and the polyanthus, are merely races of one species." 



4. On certain Fungi found near Audley End, Essex, ^'C. : by the Rev. J. E. Leefe. 



5. Notice of additions to the Flora of Aberdeen : by Mr. George Dickie, Lecturer on Botany King's 

 College, Aberdeen. 



6. 0)1 the varieties nf Dryas ociopctala: by Mr. C. C. Babington, M.A., F.L S., F.G.S., &c. The cha- 

 racters distinguishing these are the proportional length and form of the sepals — the form of the base of the 

 calyx — the form of the leaves — and the pubescence of the petioles. Two of these varieties are apparently con- 

 fined to Ireland, where Mr. Mackay first noticed the differences existing among plants of this species and 



the third is commonly found in alpine situations in England, Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. The 

 latter being the best known form, may be considered as the type of the species, and in it the sepals are acute 

 and three or four times as long as broad — the base of the calyx being hemispherical ; in R the calyx is very 

 nearly the same, being only less acute; but in y the sepals are scarcely twice as long as broad and very blunt 

 and the base of the calyx is truncated in a very remarkable manner. — Id. February 16, 1842. 



Thursday, March 10, 1842. — Professor Christison in the Chair. The following papers were read. 



1. On four new species of British Jungermannice ; by Dr. Taylor, Dunkerron. Communicated by Mr. 

 Wm. Gourlie, jun., Glasgow. — Mr. Gouriie read the descriptions of the species, and illustrated them by 

 beautifully preserved specimens. Some of these were so minute as to require microscopic aid for their exa- 

 mination, — a circumstance which enhances the merit of their discovei-y by Mr. Wilson and Dr. Taylor who 

 have laboured with so much zeal and success in the field of Cryptogamic Botany. The following were the 

 species described : — Jungermannia Wilsoni, Taylor, discovered by William Wilson, Esq., at Cromaglown 

 Killarney, in November, 1839, and named in compliment to him by Dr. Taylor. J. stellulifera Taylor 

 also discovered by Mr. Wilson, who found it near Crich, in Derbyshire, in September, 1833. J. voluta Tay- 

 lor, and spicata, Taylor, both discovered near Killarney, in 1841, by Dr. Taylor. 



Mr. GourUe afterwards exhibited specimens of the following plants : — Leskea pulinnata, Wahl., disco- 

 vered near York, by Mr. E. Spruce. Anictangium Hornschuchianum, discovered at Cromaglown by Dr. 



