Minutes of Proceedings, 271 



Dr. H. H. Dixon read a Paper on " Effects of various Gases on 

 Transpiration of Plants," and on " Transpiration into a Saturated 

 Atmosphere." 



Mr. P. W. Moore read a Eeport by Mr. D. M'Ardle, "On the 

 Mnsci and Hepaticae of the County Cavan." 



Dr. E. Perceval Wright exhibited some specimens of a Cyclamen 

 from Tunis, and a map showing the distribution of the known species 

 of the genus, and read the following note : — 



On the 18th April, 1895, Mr. G. Cathcart and I found ourselves 

 at Constantino, having journeyed eastwards from Oran. We were 

 a day's journey from Tunis, two days^ from Algiers; there was a 

 choice of a steamer from either port to Marseilles ; we determined to 

 take the one from Tunis. 



Spending a day at Hammam Meskoutine, to see the Boiling 

 Springs and the Calcareous Cascades, we left it on the morning 

 of the 19th April for Tunis. The railway crosses over a spur of the 

 Atlas Range, the Mountains of Medjerdah, and then descends to sea- 

 level at the town of Tunis. A great portion of this mountain is forest, 

 and little is known about its flora. The steamer was not to leave the 

 port until the 22nd. The 20th was devoted to a visit to Carthage ; it 

 was a showery, blustery day, cold for the time of year, but earlier the 

 spring had been fine, and the first spring flowers were over. I had 

 been at Tunis in January, 1870, and the difference between the aspect 

 of the country around the lake as then and now was very great. la 

 1870 the Port was some seven miles from the town ; the route thereto 

 was a mere track along the margin of the lake ; immense flocks of 

 birds, the most conspicuous of which were flamingoes, quite thronged 

 the sea margin ; now the new canal, cut through the lake, enabled 

 the steamers to come almost to tlie walls of the city. The birds, 

 moreover, have deserted the place, and during the whole day I saw 

 only a few plover and dotterel. Though there is a railway to Marsa, 

 with, a station at Carthage, we went by the new and excellent road. 

 This road runs near the margin of the lake, bordered by land in culti- 

 vation, being for some miles but little above sea level. It is swampy, 

 and immense patches of that strange wandering plant, Cotula coronopi- 

 folius, were growing most luxuriously, seemingly preferring brackish 

 water, and were well in fruit. The day following was bright and 

 warm ; we took the train to Hammam el Enf , a village on the Gulf of 



