491 



of respiration, heing in tliis respect the counterpart of strychnia, which kills by caus- 

 ing tonic contraction of the muscles of respiration. In both cases asphyxia is produ- 

 ced, but from different causes. The green fruit yields conia in large quantity. A full 

 detail of Dr. Christison's experiments is given in the ' Transactions of the Royal So- 

 ciety of Edinburgh, vol. xiii. As to Lindley's remark, that the fruit of the Umbelli- 

 ferae is in no case dangerous, there surely must be some mistake. So far as I recollect 

 he states, that while the leaves of the Umbelliferce are always suspicious, the fruit is 

 often aromatic. This remark holds good generally, but there are several important 

 exceptions. Conia is easily decomposed by heat, and hence extracts of hemlock are of- 

 ten inactive. The dried leaves also, according to Geiger, contain no alkaloid. These 

 facts will account for the variable effects produced liy preparations of hemlock. — J.H. 

 Balfour ; II, West Regent St., Glasgow, January 4, 1843. 



[ The following is the passage referred to. — " The properties of this order require 

 to be considered under two points of view : firstly, those of the vegetation ; and, se- 

 condly, those of the fructification. The character of the former is, generally speaking, 

 suspicious, and often poisonous in a high degree ; as in the case of Hemlock, Fool's 

 Parsley, and others, which are deadly poisons. * * 7%^ /r!«7, vulgarly called 



the seed, is in no case dangerous, and is usually a warm and agreeable aromatic, as Ca- 

 raway, Coriander, Dill, Anise, &c.'' — Lindley's ' Natural System of Botany,' Ed. 2, p* 

 22. Dr. Lindley also states, after Fee, that the properties of Conium maculatum are 

 greatly affected by climate; it being inert and eatable in Russia and the Crimea, al- 

 though it is extremely dangerous in the south of Europe. It is also stated that for 

 medicinal purposes hemlock should be collected in June, soon after flowering, its ener- 

 gy being much impaired if gathered later. — Ed."] 



253. Note on Hierochloe borealis, (Phytol. 426 and 462). I may mention with re- 

 gard to this beautiful and interesting grass, that I possess one or two very good spe- 

 cimens, which I purchased along with a few others, forming part of an old herbarium 

 bearing the date of 1805, but unfortunately I could not ascertain the name of the for- 

 mer possessor. The handwriting is in an old style, and the following is a copy of the 

 label: — " Holcus odoratus. Calla-glen, Angus-shire mountains; rarissime!" No 

 date. Possibly these may have belonged to Mr. G. Don, but not being acquainted 

 with his handwriting, 1 cannot conjecture as to the fact. The word " mountains" 

 would seem to show that " Kelly-glen '' near Arbroath could not be the spot intended. 

 I may remark that in ray herbarium there are specimens of Potentilla tridentata and 

 opaca, collected by Mr. G. Don. — Thos. Edmonston, fun. ; Baltasound, Shetland, Ja- 

 nuary 5, 1843. 



254. On the Hygrometric Qualities of the Setce of Mosses. I do not think it has 

 been generally noticed that many mosses possess fully as much of this quality as Fu- 

 naria hygrometvica. Dicranum cerviculatum, varium, falcatum and strumiferum • 

 Orthotrichum crispum ; Bryum turbinatum, capillare, julaceum and Zierii ; Tricho- 

 stomum polyphyllum, Tortula fallax and enervis, many Hypna, Sec, I have observed 

 to have this peculiarity to so great an extent, as to render it difficult to glue them to 

 the paper on which they are preserved. Mosses which were dried under heavy pres- 

 sure are comparatively destitute of this property. Thus Funaria hygrometrica, when 

 the plants are picked and dried separately, has far less than when they had been pressed 

 in tufts, and consequently the setae little injured l)y it. — Id. 



255. Note on the mildness of the weather. As an illustration of the mildness of the 

 late season, the following notice of plants, which T gathered on the Derbyshire hills 



