74 , REPOHT — 1866, 



On the Miocene Flora of North Greenland. Bi/ Professor Oswald Hekr. 



On the Frohable Cause of the Existence of a North European Flora in the West 

 of Ireland, as referred to bi/ the late Professor E. Forbes. Bi/ H. Hennesst, 

 F.E.S. 



On the Oyster Fisheries in Ireland. By John Hoaee. 



On the Ballast-Flora of the Coasts of Durham and Northuniherland*. 

 By JoBL^ Hogg, M.A.,' F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. 



The author, in his remarks on the plants which have been introduced with 

 ballast by ships on the coasts of Durham and Northumberland, limited himself to 

 the sea-coasts, and chiefly to the banks of the rivers Tees, AVear, and Tyne. 



Of the latter are the gi-eat ballast-deposits at Port Clarence, and those at West 

 Hartlepool and East Hartlepool, and the embankment of the railway to the north 

 of the latter town ; the mounds of ballast at Seaham, at Sunderland, and near 

 Wearmouth ; as well as those at South and North Shields, and others along the 

 Tyne nearer to Newcastle. 



The lists of the numerous species were divided into two heads — viz., I. Exotics 

 or plants forcic/n to our island ; and H. the rarer indigcnvus or tiaturalized species 

 of Great Britain, which were rarely seen in the before-named districts. 



The number of imported erotics in the Jirst division amounts to 69 species ; 

 and that of plants comprised in the second division is 124. These numbers mclude 

 the species which have been, during many years past, discovered bj' Messrs. 

 Winch, Storey, Norman, and Lawson, as well as by the author. 



The ballast of the localities specified is mostly chalk with flints, and therefore 

 many plants which grow naturalh' in cretaceous formations, are there found. Yet 

 Mr. Hogg stated that several orders of plants are imrepresented ; as, for example, 

 there are no Orchidea; not even any of those species of Orchis, which flourish in 

 calcareous soils ; and no Saxifraga ; one or two of the conuuonest Hosee, Rubi, and 

 Haminculi only occur. 



It was noticed that after some years' observations, the more tender species, 

 especially the exotics, flourish for two or three years, but that they perish either 

 by the frost of the first hard winter, or by the severe east winds in the spring. 

 Also several sorts of British plants, which were seldom if ever met with before the 

 numerous railways were made, have been carried with shingle along the lines of 

 railway, and so have now fidly established themselves. 



They have not, however, as yet caused any great decrease in the more common 

 plants of the district. 



It was further remarked that after the ballast had been deposited, Annuals mostly 

 sprung up, but that in two or three seasons they gave way to a variety of Pei-enniak, 

 which siicceeded to them. 



Mr. Hogg inserted in his paper several lists of plants, which he had carefully 

 prepared. 



On the Asexual Reproduction and Anatomy of Chcetogaster vermicularis 

 {Midi.). By E. Eay Lankestek, of Christ Church, Oxford. 



This species of Chsetogaster is a minute chaetopodous worm, one-eighth of an inch 

 long, parasitic on the common water-snail. Its most remarkable peculiarities are, the 

 presence of oral bristles diftering from those of the body, the very small number of 

 segments composing it, and the total absence of reproductive organs. The author 

 described its anatomy minutely, and its mode of reproducing by budding. 



* This paper is published nearly in extcnso in the ' Annals and Mag. of Natural His- 

 tory,' No. 109, for January 1867. - 



