277 



lets are sometimes so crowded near the top of the rachis as to give 

 the spike somewhat of a compound appearance. I have found a 

 small patch of the plant in this neighbourhood covering two or three 

 square feet of ground. It grows close to a footpath, and the constant 

 trampling on the ground may have affected the gi'owth of the plant, 

 and caused it to sport. 



Occurrence of Anacharis Alsinastrum at Cambridge. — 1 may men- 

 tion, for the information of your readers, that I found Anacharis 

 Alsinastrum, Bah., last Thursday at Cambridge, in a ditch near the 

 railway-station, and adjoining the road to the Fitzwilliam Museum. 

 This plant now occupies a much larger portion of the river here (the 

 Trent) than when first noticed, about eighteeen months back ; in fact, 

 it bids fair, in a very short time, to block up one of the two streams 

 into which the Trent here divides. As regards the Cambridge loca- 

 lity for this plant, it may be desirable to inquire whether it has been 

 introduced by any of the botanists of that neighbourhood. 



W. M. Hind. 



Burton-on-Tient, July 26, 1851. 



Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



Thursday, July 10, 1851. — Professor Dickie was elected Local 

 Secretary for Belfast ; Professor Hincks, for Cork ; and Professor 

 Melville, for Galway. 



The following donations were announced: — ' De la Teratologic 

 Vegetale, par Charles Martins,' from the Author; ' Observations sur 

 la Floraison de quelques Plantes cultivees faites a Moscou, par N. 

 Anneukow,' from the Author ; ' Flora of Liverpool,' from the Author ; 

 British plants from Mr. G. Lavvson. 



Dr. Balfour exhibited a specimen of a species of Polyporus from 

 America, which had been presented to the museum at the Garden by 

 Dr. Knapp ; bark of Quillaia saponaria from Guyana, presented by 

 Professor Traill ; and specimens of Sphseria polymorpha from Dr. 

 Greville. Dr. B. also announced a donation of valuable seeds to the 

 Botanic Gaiden, from Ch. A. Meyer, of the Imperial Garden of St. 

 Petersburg. 



Dr. Balfour exhibited specimens of the following monstrosities: — 



1. An Arum with a double spathe, the second spathe being alter- 



