287 



limits, of the form of parts, or of the whole of an organized body, ac- 

 cording to the particular conditions under which that part or that 

 individual had been developed. Prof. Goodsir suggested that Dr. 

 M'Cosh might be more successful if he would limit his inquiry to the 

 law of ramification of a single judiciously-selected species, and would 

 endeavour to grow that species under such invariable conditions as 

 might afford an approach at least to the typical form of the species. 

 He also believed that before the law which regulates the an-angement 

 of the primary and secondary ramifications of a leaf can be ascer- 

 tained, attention must be cRrected to the law of form in the paren- 

 chyma itself. 



Mr. M'Nab exhibited specimens of Viola stagnina, from Bottisham 

 Fen, sent by Mr. Stratton, of the Cambridge Botanic Garden. 



Many interesting plants were exhibited from the Botanic Garden, 

 including a large collection of British ferns ; also various alpine 

 plants from Mr, Evans, of the Experimental Garden; and a species 

 of Urtica from the garden of Isaac Anderson, Esq , Maryfield, which 

 he had raised from seeds received from Dr. Jameson, Quito. 



The following gentlemen were elected fellows :— Captain Richard 

 Baird Smith, Bengal Engineers, and Duncan A. C. Eraser, Esq. 



After the meeting, the members of the Society and visitors, to the 

 number of about 150, afterwards met, by the invitation of Professor 

 Balfour, in the new museura-roora, which was decorated with palms, 

 coloured drawings, dissections of plants, &c., and where tea and cof- 

 fee, fruit, &c., were provided. 



Botanical Society of London. 



Friday, July 4, 1851. Mr. G. E. Dennes in the chair. 



Mr. J. T. Syme, Curator, exhibited one of the various forms or sub- 

 species usually grouped under the name of Ranunculus aquatilis, 

 which had been collected by that gentleman at Guillon Links, Had- 

 dingtonshire, early in June. Mr. Syme and others had referred this 

 form either to R. Baudotii (= Batrachium marinum of Fries) or to R. 

 confusus of Grenier and Godron's ' Flore de France,' two very nearly 

 allied plants, and neither of them easily distinguished from some va- 

 rieties still usually joined with the typical R. aquatilis. — G. E. D. 



