63 



and the natural history of the human family, of investigating 

 the characteristics of the pure Celtic type of a considerable 

 branch of the Caucasian variety of man. 



His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin communicated some 

 observations " On the Leafing of Plants." 



It is well known that there is a diversity in the times of 

 leafing and shedding in individual trees of the same species ; 

 e. g. hawthorn, sycamore, horse-chesnut, beech, &c., some- 

 times as much as a fortnight ; and the earliest in leaf are also 

 the earliest shed, the same individuals keeping their time every 

 year. Hence the question, whether this diversity arises from 

 the " separable accidents" of soil, situation, &c., or whether 

 from " inseparable accidents" which constitute what physio- 

 logists call varieties ? 



An experiment was tried by grafting an early hawthorn on 

 a late, and vice versa. The scions kept their times (about a 

 fortnight's difference) as if on their own stocks ; thus proving 

 that it was a case of " seedling variety ^^ 



Many other such varieties are known, not only of apples, 

 peaches, &c., but of wild trees also, differing in shape of leaf, 

 form of growth, colour and size of fruit, &c., and also time of 

 ripening. It was, therefore, to be expected that there should 

 be the like, in respect of times of leafing. 



This may throw some light on the question respecting 

 " acclimating." It may be, that species may be brought to 

 bear climates originally ill-suited,— not by any especial virtue 

 in the seeds ripened in any particular climate, but — by multi- 

 plying seedlings, a few of which, out of multitudes, may have 

 qualities suited to this or that country, e. g. some to cold, 

 some to drought, some to wet, &c. 



In some cases, a plant's beginning to vegetate later may 

 secure it from spring frosts, which would destroy a preco- 

 cious variety ; in others, earlier flowering may enable a tree to 

 ripen fruit in a climate in which a later would be useless, &c. 



