574 botanical notes, notices, and queries. [june, 



Botanical News. 



The following is a brief Eeport of the Society of Amateur Botanists, 

 232, Euston Eoad :— 



March 18th. — Paper on the Genus lycoperdon, read by the President. 

 Also an account of some of the most interesting plants found in the 

 neighbourhood of Epping, by Mr. A. Grugeon. 



April 1st. — Paper on the Order Phalloidei of British Fungi, by the 

 President. Also " On the species of Bovista found in Great Britain." 



April 3rd. — Excursion to Combe Wood (by permission), for the pur- 

 pose of collecting Cryptogamic plants, 



April 15th. — Paper on TecJmokyiiesis, or stamiual motion in certain 

 British plants, by the President. " Notes on British OrcJudacea, by Mr. 

 Savage. 



Eaeliness of the Season, Fineness of the Weather and the 

 Spring Flowers. 

 Not a tree, or shrub, or bush, or plant, or flower but seems instinct 

 with life; an unprecedented precocity and forwardness are apparent in all 

 of them, resulting from, and accelerated by the soft, mild weather. Honey- 

 suckles and many Rose-trees have expanded their leaves ; the Mezereon 

 shows itself, " thick beset with blushing wreaths ;" Lilacs and Syringas ap- 

 pear ready to burst into leaf ; the Hawthorn is evolving and protruding its 

 countless buds ; and the Gooseberry even is mantling itself in green attire. 

 The Snowdrop has been in flower an entire month ; and, closely following 

 it, in Flora's train, the several varieties of the Crocus — yellow, white, and 

 blue, have made their appearance. Polyanthuses, Primroses, Daisies, 

 Wallflowers, the Hepatica, Arabis, and Dandelion may all be seen in 

 bloom ; while the Daffodil, or Lent Lily, 



" Wliicli comes before the swallow dares, and takes 

 The winds of March with beauty," 



will ere many days unfold its flowers, and deck the garden among other 

 beauties. Not many days ago, the yellow Star of Bethlehem, which usually 

 flowers about the 19th of March, and continues to blow through April, was 

 discovered just coming into bloom in one of its old habitats in this neigh- 

 bourhood by a botanical friend of ours. He is a keen observer, and was 

 surprised at seeing this little plant so early. The weather yesterday was 

 more favourable, and the day, for February, was very fine, — inviting birds 

 to sing, and ladies who have nothing to do, or who ought to have some- 

 thing to do, to walk out and admii-e the loveliness of the vernal season. 

 Preston Chronicle, April, 1863. 



Exchange of Specimens. 



Having good duplicates of several of the rarer Mosses (amongst them 

 Schistostega pemiata, recently collected), and being still in want of a large 

 number of the more local species and varieties, and also of named speci- 

 mens (well set and in good condition) of either British or foreign marine 

 and freshwater Algse, and foreign Lycopods, — having none of the latter, 

 and but few of the former, — I shall be glad to forward lists to botanists 

 wishing to exchange, and to receive their lists of desiderata. 



Euddersfield. T. W. B. Ingle. 



