1005 



Scotland, and for the botanical school of Edinbiu'gh, a suitable palm- 

 house, as well as a Victoria-house. 



The following are the measurements made, by Mr. M'Nab, of some 

 of the palms in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. In giving the height, 

 the leafy part at the top of the caudex is included, along with the tub 

 in which the plant is growing : — Acrocomia aculeata, 38 feet ; Areca 

 triandra, 19 ; Caryota urens, 43, (frond 4 feet 9 inches beyond the 

 roof) ; Chamgerops humilis, var. elata, 20 feet ; Cocos nucifera, 18 ; 

 Euterpe montana, 38, (frond about 2 feet beyond the roof) ; Livis- 

 tonia chineusis,.40 feet, (fronds bent down by the roof of the house) ; 

 Sagus Rumphii, 43 feet, (fronds about 10 inches beyond the roof) ; 

 Seaforthia elegans, 22 feet. Some of these palms, he stated, were 

 between fifty and sixty years old. 



Dr. Greville trusted that Dr. Balfour's efibrts would be successful 

 in getting such an enlargement of the palm-house as would enable 

 him to preserve the noble specimens now in the garden. 



Dr. Balfour stated that two boxes had been received from Mr. Jef- 

 fray, the botanical collector in Oregon, containing numerous seeds ; 

 among the rest, seeds and cones of Finns flexilis and P. lasiocarpa, 

 Picea nobilis, Abies Pattoni, Pinus monticola and P. ponderosa, some 

 of the kinds being in considerable quantity. 



Botanical Trip to Ireland. 



Dr. Balfour gave an account of a botanical trip to Ireland, in 

 August, 1852, with some of his pupils. The party consisted of 

 Messrs. Balfour, Sutherland, Eraser, Cowan, Menzies, Sibbald, 

 M'Allum, and Cockell. Dr. B. gave an account of the three Floras of 

 Ireland, as distinguished by Professor Forbes, viz., the Germanic, or 

 Central European, Flora, in the north and east ; the Devonian, or 

 Armorican, Flora, in the south ; and the Asturian Flora in the west. 

 The districts of all these Floras were visited by the party. Dr. B. 

 also gave a general sketch of the Geology of the districts, consisting 

 of rocks belonging to the upper Silurian and the carboniferous series. 

 In the vicinity of Dublin, the party were aided by Dr. Mackay, Pro- 

 fessor Allman, and Dr. Robert Ball, to all of whom they were deeply 

 indebted. They visited Howth, Portmarnock, Malahide, the Dargle, 

 and Powerscourt; and collected, among others, the following species: 

 — Crithmum maritimum. Inula crithmoides and I. dysenterica, Obione 

 portulacoides, Erodium maritimum and E. moschatum. Beta maritima, 

 Carlina vulgaris, Ulex nanus, Statice occidentalis and S. bahusiensis, 

 Apiura graveolens. Euphorbia Paralias, Orchis pyramidalis, Hymeno- 

 VOL. IV, 6 N 



