523 



on the lower surface, while on the upper surface, the pileus being 

 inverted, the lamellae appeared above. 10. From Mr. M'Phail : — 

 Specimens of hazel-nuts, accompanied by the following note : — "The 

 hazel-nuts which I hand with this note were found in a large moss- 

 drain in the Island of Lewes, in February, 1849, at a depth of nine 

 feet from the surface. The locality in which they were found is at the 

 sea-side, perhaps 200 yards from the sea-mark, and at the foot of a 

 broken rock slipping into the moss. There is no native hazel to be 

 seen now in that locality, except one small bush, which is cut down 

 by the natives whenever it ventures to push out a sprout, striving for 

 existence in the summer. The above-mentioned bush is about a 

 quarter of a mile from the place where the nuts where found, and pro- 

 bably the only native hazel-tree in all the island." 11. From A. H. 

 Balfour, Esq., surgeon, Hong-Kong : — Specimens of physic-nut [Ja- 

 tropha Curcas). Mr. Balfour states, in a letter, that two ladies had 

 swallowed, the one three or four, and the other seven or eight, of the 

 physic-nuts growing at Hong-Kong. Within half an hour after they 

 had eaten them they were seized with violent vomiting and diarrhoea, 

 which lasted for a considerable time, and were relieved by the use of 

 sedatives. The seeds are pleasant to the taste. They yield, on pressure, 

 a considerable quantity of oil, which the Chinese use for varnish and 

 for burning. 12. From J. G. Morison, Esq. : — Specimens of paper 

 made from the Sicilian Papyrus, sent by Mr. M., from Messina. 13. 

 From Mrs. Balfour : — Specimen of a cross made in Ireland, from the 

 pith of the elder, with figures carved on it. 14, From the Rev. G. 

 Macfarlane : — Specimens of Lepidostrobus and of a Calamite from 

 Burdiehouse. 



Mr. Bryson sent for exhibition under the microscope a section of 

 the stem of Phytocrene gigantea, a gigantic, climbing shrub, belong- 

 ing to the natural order Urticaceae, found in India, and figured iu 

 WalUch's ' Plantae Asiaticse Rariores,' vol. iii. tab. 216. The section 

 showed a large, cellular, central pith, surrounded by a vascular layer, 

 proceeding from which were seen eight wedges, composed chiefly of 

 porous vessels, alternating with eight narrow bundles of pleurenchy- 

 matous vessels and cellular tissue. The wood is soft and porous ; and 

 Dr. Wallich states that in dividing the stem, which sometimes mea- 

 sures eighteen inches in diameter, a large quantity of a pure and taste- 

 less fluid flows out, which is quite wholesome, and is drunk by the 

 natives. Hence it has been called " Vegetable Fountain." 



Mr. M'Nab exhibited a flower of Arum cornutum from the Botanic 

 Garden. 



