142 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



Dr. Graham read a description of Catasetum discolor, var. luteo- 

 aurantiacum, and oiFered some general observations on the genus Ca- 

 tasetum. 



June 14. — Dr. Balfour, V.P., in the Chair. 



The Secretary stated that a letter had been received by the Pre- 

 sident from William Gibson Craig, Esq., M.P. inclosing a commu- 

 nication from Lord John Russell, intimating that Her Majesty had 

 been graciously pleased to become Patron of the Botanical Society. 



Dr. Balfour then read a paper by Wm. B. Carpenter, Esq. of Bristol, 

 containing a general view of the function of reproduction in vege- 

 tables, in which Mr. Carpenter endeavoured to show that the repro- 

 ductive system can be traced with increasing complexity, but with- 

 out alteration in its essential characters, from the lowest Cryptogamic 

 Tribe up to the most perfectly organized flowering plants. 



July 12th. — Professor Graham, President, in the Chair. 



It was stated by the Secretary that the Society had received an 

 increase of 77 Members since the date of the last Annual Report in 

 1837, and that the total number of Members now amounted to 199, 

 in the following proportions. 



British Honorary Members . 6 Non-Resident Members 63 

 Foreign Honorary Members 20 Foreign Members .... 27 

 Resident Members 82 Associate 1 — 199 



Mr, Falconer read an account of a Botanical excursion to one of 

 the islands of Hy^res by Mr. Percy in the year 1836, with a list of 

 most of the species observed. 



Mr. Macaulay read some observations on several of the species of 

 the genus Tortula, communicated by Mr. Robert Stark of Ciren- 

 cester. 



Mr. Brand read a paper containing his views on the proper mode 

 of arranging the Society's Herbarium and forming a catalogue for 

 reference. He proposed to divide Great Britain and Ireland, inclu- 

 ding the adjacent islands, into 42 districts, grouped according to a 

 union of their political and natural boundaries, and he exhibited a 

 map of the country arranged on this principle. He proposed to de- 

 vote a page of the catalogue to each species, and to have printed on 

 it the numbers and names of all the districts, with columns annexed 

 for recording the following particulars, namely, the latitude and lon- 

 gitude of the centre of each district, and the county whence the spe- 

 cimens are obtained ; the condition of the plants in the respective 

 districts, as denoted by the marks or signs used in the Society's 

 published catalogue ; the relative situation or habitat of the speci- 

 mens furnished, as whether upland, inland or from the coast j the 



