156 Butanical Suciety of Edinburgh. 



on tlieir cultivation. The garden implements were rude and simple, 

 a ricli soil and a warm southern sun rendering any artificial opera- 

 tions unnecessary. The country after passing the Belbec is thickly 

 wooded with dwarf oak for the distance of about four miles, when a 

 rapid descent takes place into the Valley of Inkermann, at the south- 

 western extremity of which Sebastopol is situated, which is sur- 

 rounded with bare rocky hills nearly destitute of vegetation." 



Dr. Balfour exhibited specimens of Chcetophora endivicefolia, sent 

 by Miss Susanna Beever, from Stanley Water on the Fell near 

 Coniston Old Man. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. " Sketch of the Life of the late Professor Edward Forbes," by 

 Professor Balfour. This paper appeared in the ' Annals of Natural 

 History ' for last month. 



2. "On Hi/pericum anffiicum," bv Charles C. Babington, M.A., 

 F.R.S. Seep. 92. 



3. "On the Structure of the Anthers of Erica,'" by John Lowe, 

 Esq. 



The author remarked, " I have to bring before the Society's notice 

 this evening, a short sketch of two peculiar features occurring in the 

 anthers of the genus JSrica. The anthers of this genus are usually 

 described in botanical works as consisting of two loculi, which open 

 and discharge their pollen by means of lateral pores. So far this is 

 true, for if we examine a fully expanded flower, the anthers will be 

 seen to be free, and to have a pore, or rather slit on each side ; but if 

 a young, unexpanded flower be examined, the anthers instead of being 

 free will be found to be connected together into the form of a circle, 

 and no pores will now be seen. Their future disconnection appears 

 to be caused by the increase of the pollen, in the same manner that 

 valves are separated in valvular dehiscence. The first who noticed 

 the peculiarity above mentioned was, I believe, that very accurate 

 observer Mr. Robert Brown, who thus describes it in the ' Hortus 

 Kewensis,' so long ago as 1811 : 'Antherse ante anthesin per duo 

 foramina lateralia connexae.' The only other work in which I find it 

 noticed is IM'Gillivray's edition of ' Withering's British Botany ' ; but 

 there is a want of that accuracy observable hi the preceding work. 

 [See Smith, Eng. Fl. ii. 22.').] The other peculiarity referred to is 

 the separation which occurs between the loculi of the same anther. 

 In all the species examined this prevails to a greater or less extent. 

 In some the division extends almost, in others quite, to the base of 

 the anther, and in two species, E . Bmi/csiana and E.Sebana lufea, there 

 is so complete a separation, that the locuh of adjoining anthers have 

 a greater connection than those of the same anther. In these two 

 instances, the filaments are expanded into the form of a tube, and 

 there appears, in all the species examined, to be a nearly constant 

 ratio between the amount of the filamentary expansion and the sepa- 

 ration of the loculi. One apparent exception is found in E. vernix 

 coccinea, but here the filaments, though much expanded at the base, 

 are attenuated superiorly. From these facts it would almost seem 



