542 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



are remarkably small. The ferns in Shetland are less numerous than 

 those in Iceland or Faroe, while those of the Long Island exceed the 

 Faroe sj^ecies by four, and are exactly equal to the number found in 

 Iceland, — the Faroe and Iceland lists being the smallest recorded in 

 Mr. Watson's valuable paper on the Distribution of Ferns, recently 

 published in the Transactions of this Society (vol. i. p. 89). 



The more mountainous character of the Long Island will probably 

 account for the much larger proportion (1 to 22) which its ferns bear 

 to the flowering plants, than that which appears to exist in Shetland ; 

 for although considerable allowances be made for the imperfect state 

 of the Long Island list, on account of the short time employed in its 

 preparation, yet it does not seem probable that the number of its 

 flowering plants will be so far increased as to raise their relative jDro- 

 portion as high as that shown to exist in Shetland, since this would 

 require an addition of 151 species, even if the number of ferns re- 

 mained stationary. 



The communication concludes as follows : — " We must be allowed 

 to impress upon the Society, that this tour is not of the less interest 

 for not having produced any plants new to the British Flora, since we 

 consider the determination of the flora of any district, peculiar either 

 in its structure or situation, to be of importance, as elucidating the 

 eflfect of soil or climate upon the distribution of plants. 



" We would also take this op2:)ortunity of expressing our sense of 

 the obligations under which we lie to the gentlemen of Skye and the 

 Long Island, who in a truly kind and liberal manner exercised their 

 hospitality towards our party, and greatly contributed to the pleasure, 

 indeed we may say to the success, of the excursion." 



2. On the Anatomy and Physiology of the seed of Phaseolus vul- 

 garis, or French Bean, by Dr. Spencer Thomson, Burton-on-Trent. 



In this paper, which was accompanied by illustrative drawings, the 

 author, after giving an elaborate dissection of the seed, stated a va- 

 riety of circumstances relative to its mode or course of germination, 

 and traced the analogy between that process and the growth of the 

 foetus in the animal kingdom. He also noticed M. DeCandoUe's 

 views on the subject, and pointed out the results which seemed to 

 arise from them. 



3. On the discovery of three species of Fungi new to the British 

 Flora, viz. Tuher ferrugineum, jEcidium Thesii, Leefe, and Uredo Sym- 

 phyti, D. C, by the Rev. J. E. Leefe. 



With regard to the first of these fungi, Mr. Leefe says, — "The 

 specimens are in general of a rich red bronze colour. Their smell 

 is peculiarly strong and penetrating, so that on receiving a letter 

 enclosing specimens, Mr. Berkeley can, before opening it, determine 

 positively what it contains." 



4. Notice of the discovery of Cerastiuin triviale /3. holosteoides, 

 Fries, near Kinfauns Castle, Perthshire ; and of Rnbiis arcticus, near 

 the head of Glen Tilt, Perthshire, by Mr. J. Robertson, Kinfauns 

 Garden. 



Considerable interest was manifested respecting the occurrence of 

 the latter species in the British'Flora, and some discussion took place 



