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the Government of India ; plantations have been established, first in 

 Malabar, afterwards in Mysore, and their present thriving condition 

 gives the prospect of eventual success. 



2. ' On Chantransia, Desv. By John Ralfs.' The species of Chan- 

 transia are fresh-water, minute, tufted Algie, of a red, purplish, or 

 inky colour. The proper position of this genus is doubtful. In habit 

 and appearance some of its species agree closely with the minute, pa- 

 rasitic, and irregularly-branched species of Callithamnion. 



3. ' Notice of Belenia praealta of Jacquemont. By Dr. Balfour.' 

 Dr. B. stated that the plant exhibited by him at the last meeting as a 

 species of Hyoscyamus, turns out to be the Belenia prsealta of Jacque- 

 mont. The genus Belenia differs from Hyoscyamus in its corymbose 

 inflorescence and more regular flowers. The plant is described and 

 figured in Jacquemont's work. It grows on the Himalaya at great 

 elevations, and towards the northern slope, abounding in the flat 

 plains on the lofty summits. The plant in the Botanic Gai'den was 

 raised from seeds sent by Major Madden to Mr. Moore, of Glasnevin. 



4. 'Remarks on some Australian Products. By Samuel Mossraan.' 

 Mr. M. exhibited specimens of the following products, brought by him 

 from Australia, and which he had presented to the museum at the 

 Botanic Garden : — 



1. New-Zealand Flax. — " This beautiful silky fibre," he remarked, 

 " is procured from the leaves of the Phormium tenax. Foist., by a 

 tedious hand-process of stripping it from the parenchyma with a shell. 

 Hitherto all attempts at preparing it by maceration, beating, and the 

 appliances of machinery have failed in producing an article equal to 

 that dressed in this simple manner by the aborigines. This plant 

 grows abundantly in tufts on marshy land throughout the whole of the 

 New-Zealand group of islands. It is manufactured into mats for 

 clothing by the Maories, and into rope by the Europeans there, to 

 whom it is worth about £60 per ton." 



2. " Kauri Gum " of Commerce. — " This is a very pure resin from 

 the Dammara australis or Kauri pine of New Zealand, and has been 

 erroneously termed a gum by the settlers. The tree bears fertile and 

 sterile cones, and sheds its bark like the Eucalyptus of Australia. 

 The timber is much valued in the navy for making large and durable 

 spars. A remarkable circumstance connected with the collecting of 

 this resin is, that it is principally got amongst sandy soil on open 

 fern-land, where not the vestige of a tree is to be found, a fact which 

 indicates the existence, at a recent date, of extensive forests of this 

 pine, having merely surface- roots on the thin soil of these islands, 



