808 



Polypodium alpestre, var. Glen Isla ; July, 1852. 

 Polypodimn alpestre. Cairntoul, Aberdeenshire ; July, 1852. 



Pseu da th yr iu m a Ip es tre . 



Dr. Balfour made some observations on the Polypodium rhaeticum, 

 Vill. (Voyage Botan. p. 12), Polypodium alpestre, Hoppe, Pseudathy- 

 rium alpestre, Neivm. He stated that a good specimen of the plant 

 is found in Mougeot and Nestler's ' Stirpes Cryptogami^e Vogeso-Rhe- 

 nanae,' No. 602. The plant is said to grow in " Summis Vogesorura 

 prgeruptis herbidis." It is stated by Mr. H. C. Watson to have been 

 gathered by him in the great corrie of Ben Aulder, on the west side 

 of Loch Ericht, Inverness-shire ; also, in 1844, in Canlochen Glen. 

 The plant resembles Athyrium Filix-foemina so much as to have been 

 passed over by many botanists ; and it had been put by Mr. Watson 

 among his specimens of that species. It has been found of late, by 

 several botanists, in the Highlands of Scotland, especially in the 

 Clova and Braemar district. On looking over the plants in his her- 

 barium, Dr. Balfour found that it had been gathered on several occa- 

 sions by himself and others, and put along with specimens of Athy- 

 rium Filix-foemina, as a variety of that species. Dr. Balfour exhibited, 

 from his herbarium, the following specimens of the plant, which had 

 also been carefully examined by Dr. Greville : — 



1. From Ben Hope, Sutherlandshire ; August, 1827. Dr. Balfour. 



2. Same station; August, 1833. Dr. Graham, 



3. Glen Callater ; August, 1836. Dr. Gilbert M'Nab. 



4. Caenlochen, Glen Isla ; August 6, 1840. Dr. Balfour. 



Distribution of Plants in Madeira. 



'Remarks on the Distribution of Plants in Madeira;' by John 

 M'Laren, Esq. 



Mr. M'Laren made some observations on the distribution of plants 

 in Madeira, as compared with the Flora of neighbouring countries. 

 He remarked that the vegetation of Madeira might be said to consist 

 of two distinct Floras. One of these had a great analogy to the Flora 

 of Algiers and the South of Spain, and contained many species com- 

 mon to these countries, and to the shores of the Canaries and West- 

 ern Isles. This might be described as the Flora of the cultivated 

 region. It included the naturalized trees and shrubs of the south of 

 Europe, and most of the agricultural and littoral weeds which, from 

 their identity with European and North-African species, were supposed 

 to have been introduced by the agency of man, or by other natural 



