Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 419 



some account of the habits and circumstances of its growth. It 

 occurs in the body of the Sphinx larva and in the pupa from August 

 to the following April, at which time it changes to a nymph, and 

 remains in this state for a month to six weeks and comes forth in 

 June. The anatomy of the larva was then described and shown to 

 be in every particular in strict accordance with the condition of life 

 under which this parasite exists, and confirmatory of the view of the 

 author that the habits of different species are invariably in accord- 

 ance with peculiarities of function, and that these are dependent 

 mainly on differences of detail of structure. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



March 14, 1850. — Professor Fleming, President, in the Chair. 



Mr. M'Nab exhibited a specimen of Stenocarpus Cunninghami in 

 flower ; a flowering spadix of Areca triandra, a palm which perfected 

 its fruit in the Botanic Garden last season ; and a cluster of male 

 flowers of Chamcerops humilis. 



Dr. M 'Donald exhibited a specimen of the leaf of Phormium tenax 

 grown in Argyllshire. The leaf was 6 feet 3 inches long, and fy 

 inches broad. He stated that the plant thrives well in that part of 

 Scotland, without any protection during winter. He also mentioned 

 that in many places on the Mull of Cantyre, myrtles, hydrangeas, 

 fuchsias, and other delicate plants, succeed admirably, without pro- 

 tection. 



Mr. M'Nab exhibited a specimen of Potentilla tridentata, sent by 

 Mr. Westwood as a part of the plant picked by him and Mr. C. Stew- 

 art, on Ben Wyvis, Ross-shire, about ten years since. Mr. M'Nab 

 undertook to investigate the Ben Wyvis station for this plant during 

 the ensuing season. 



Mr. M'Nab also exhibited from Mr. Ramsay a specimen of red 

 fibrous matter attached to wood, taken from the wooden water-house 

 of the Water Company on the Pentland Hills. The substance ap- 

 peared to be very peculiar, and was remitted to Dr. Greville for ex- 

 amination. 



Specimens of plants from the Quitinian Andes were presented from 

 W. Jameson, Esq., of Quito, arranged according to their localities, as 

 follows : — 



I. Specimens of the Flora of Pomasqui and San Antonio, lat. 0° 0': 

 height above the level of the sea 8697 feet. 



II. Plants from the level of Quito, lat. 0° 13' S. : altitude 9524 

 feet above the level of the sea. 



III. Plants from the Region of Shrubs, from 11,000 to 13,000 

 feet above the sea level. 



IV. Those of the lofty range of the Andes, as Pichincha, Chim- 

 borazo and Antisana, from 13,000 to' 15,500 feet above the level of 

 the sea. 



Specimens of plants from Simla were exhibited from Lieut. R. 

 Maclagan. Simla is in lat, 31° 6' N. ; long. 77° 13' 22" E. Alti- 

 tude, 7040 feet. 



27* 



