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Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



Thursday, November 13, 1851 (being the sixteenth session). — Pro- 

 fessor Balfour, President, in the chair. 



There was a large attendance of members and visitors, and among 

 others Mr. Fortune, who has just returned from India, after the suc- 

 cessful introduction to the Himalaya district of tea plants and tea 

 manufacturers from China. 



The President in taking the chair alluded to the success which 

 had attended the meetings of the Society during the bygone session, 

 the increased zeal for botany among the members, and the numerous 

 donations made to the herbarium and botanical museum in Edin- 

 burgh. He urged on the members the desirableness of renewing their 

 exertions this season ; and he particularly invited the young members 

 to record the observations which they made, and thus render them 

 available for the purposes of science. He concluded his address by 

 alluding to the deaths which had taken place among the members of 

 the Society since the last meeting, and in an especial manner refeiTed 

 to the labours of the late Dr. Neill, Mr. David Steuart, Dr. Bromfield, 

 Mr. James Nicol, and Mr. James Cunningham. All of these gentle- 

 men, in their different departments, had done much to forward the 

 science of botany. 



The following donations were announced to the Society's library 

 and herbarium: — 'The British Species of Angiocarpous Lichens, 

 elucidated by their Sporidia,' by the Rev. W. A. Leighton, from the 

 Author ; several pamphlets on Indian botany, by Dr. Hugh Cleghorn, 

 H.E.I.C.S., from the Author ; ' Botanical Gazette,' from the Editor ; 

 a large collection of Canadian plants from Dr. Philip Maclagan ; Ice- 

 land plants from Mr. Paul ; British plants from Mr. T. Anderson and 

 Mr. Parker, Torquay ; also Continental and British plants from Mr. 

 Blackie, the former including Epipogon Gmelini and others of interest, 

 and amongst the latter was a specimen of Linnaea borealis from near 

 Aberdeen, bearing four flowers, arranged in an umbellate form, on 

 one peduncle. Thanks were voted to the donors. 



Mr. M'Nab announced the following donations to the museum at 

 the Botanic Garden since the last meeting of the Society : — 1. From 

 Mrs. Sawers, Kingston, Jamaica : — Specimens of Cassava cake, lace- 

 bark, soap-berries, fibres of banana, specimens of cotton, and of paper 

 made from the epidermis of a plant. 2. From Dr. Hugh Cleghorn, 

 H.E.I.C.S. : — Specimens of Malacca cane {Calamvs Scipionum), fos- 

 sil wood from Godavery (Madras), and seed-vessel of Sterculia fcEtida. 



