Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 127 



mens of the various plants alluded to, chiefly collected by himself in 

 Carniola, accompanied by critical remarks on their alliances and 

 synonyms amongst British species. He noticed particularly the fol- 

 lowing; — 1. Rhinanthus hirsutus, ham. 2. Acinos villosus, Fers. S. 

 Ranunculus verrucosus, Prsl. 4. Rubus tomentosus, Borkh. 5. Po- 

 lygonum Bellardi, All. 6. Hieracium Peleterianum, Merat. 



2. Mr. Herbert Giraud read the first part of a paper on the Struc- 

 ture and Functions of Pollen. An account of this paper will be 

 found in the Proceedings of the Society at the following meeting. 



3. Mr. Brand read a communication explanatory of a scheme 

 which he proposed for the publication of a work under the Society's 

 direction, intended to give a general but comprehensive view of the 

 whole range of Botanical Science, with reference both to its natural 

 and civil history, and commencing with the earliest period in each 

 department. He proposed that the work should consist of nine se- 

 parate but connecting essays, forming as many divisions of the sub- 

 ject, and that the Society should invite its Members to write these 

 several essays according to a plan, and on certain conditions speci- 

 fied by him. The proposal was referred to a Committee for consi- 

 deration. 



February 14th. — Prof. Graham, President, in the Chair. 



1 . Mr. Giraud read the second part of his paper on the Structure 

 and Functions of Pollen. In the former part of this paper, after de- 

 scribing the phsenomena which are attendant on the development of 

 pollen in various tribes of plants, Mr. Giraud pointed out some pe- 

 culiarities which he had met with in the external configuration and 

 internal structure of the mature pollen grain, and showed that from 

 the former character no correct indications could be deduced for de- 

 termining the limits of certain groups of plants ; as the figure and 

 surface of the pollen-grain often differs widely even in individuals of 

 the same genus. The existence of a third tunic, or investing mem- 

 brane, was shown to occur in the pollen of Crocus vernus, and also 

 the presence of minute opaque bodies on the surface of the pollen of 

 Polemonium coeruleum, which, when immersed in water, appeared to 

 be possessed of spontaneous motion. The true nature of the furrow 

 which exists in certain spherical and elliptical pollen grains, was 

 pointed out, and shown not to be a slit in the outer membrane, as is 

 the opinion of some vegetable anatomists. 



Mr. Giraud then described the chemical composition of pollen, 

 showing the existence of potassa in the pollen oi Antirrhinum majus ; 

 and of raphides, consisting of phosphate of lime, mixed up with the 



