373 



Report of the Proceedings of the British Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science. 



Mr. Ball's paper is only interesting, to the British botanist, as 

 tracing the botanical range of some of our British plants. The 

 author considers the vegetation of Vigo and its vicinity as con- 

 firming, in some degree, the hypotheses of those naturalists who 

 believe in the former extension of the Galician coast towards the 

 British Islands, but that the botanical evidence points rather to a 

 connexion with Cornwall and Devon, than to one with Ireland. 

 Asplenium lanceolatum occurred at this spot. Only seven or eight 

 species were observed which do not belong to the British flora. The 

 vegetation of Lisbon and Cintra presents a great contrast to that 

 of Vigo; many of the species observed here do not extend north of 

 the Douro, neither do they occur in the Mediterranean flora. At 

 Cintra, remarkable for the fantastic forms of the granitic pinnacles 

 which overhung the village, Mr. Ball was struck by the abundance of 

 fruticose Leguminosse, and by the presence of ferns which announce 

 that he is approaching the semitropical Atlantic flora. Most of the 

 Leguminosae, however, were not determined. Among the ferns were 

 Davallia Canariensis, Asplenium palmatum, A. Adiantum-nigrum, 

 var. Virgilii, and two others not previously ascertained. One of the 

 peculiarities of this locality is the abundance and luxuriance of Pelar- 

 gonia, two species of which are completely naturalized. At Lisbon 

 and, further on, at Santarem, as well as elsewhere in the valley of the 

 Tagus, the hedges were principally formed of the common Agave 

 Americana, planted about three feet apart. On the banks of the Ze- 

 zere, near the ferry, the author gathered Lycopodium denticulatum, 

 which was not observed elsewhere during the excursion. The second 

 part of Mr. Ball's communication is less botanical than the first ; and 

 although rendered interesting by geological and physical details, there 

 is but very little information for the exclusively British botanist. 

 I do not mention this as objecting to such writing; on the contrary, 

 I consider it valuable and instructive ; but as the Gazette is now 

 reduced to a minimum of size, I am rather jealous of any portion 

 being occupied with matter not perfectly legitimate. 1 observe that 

 near Zarza, on the Spanish frontier, our traveller, in crossing a chain 

 of rather high hills, on which the track had completely disappeared, 

 had to force his way through thickets of Arbutus Unedo, the berries 

 of which were of the size of a large gooseberry, and very palatable. 

 Dr. M'Cosh's paper has already appeared in these pages. 

 The report of the British Association is given elsewhere. 



