94 Miscellaneous. 



rey. Mr Edwin Lees of Worcester was appointed Local Secretary 

 for Worcestershire. 



Specimens were stated by the Secretary to have been received 

 since last meeting from Dr Tyacke, Mr Shuttleworth, Dr R. C. Alex- 

 ander, Rev. Mr Rutherford, Mr Leighton, Dr Dewar, iMr Watson, 

 Mr Carpenter, Dr Greville, Mr Cruickshank, Mr Lees, Mr Bell, 

 Dr Barry, Mr Spencer Thomson, and Mr Maughan. Donation: 

 '* Letter by N. B. Ward, Esq., to Sir W. J. Hooker, on the growth 

 of plants without open exposure to air," from the author. 



Mr Carpenter directed the attention of the Society to the advan- 

 tages which might result from their endeavouring to form a collec- 

 tion of vegetable monstrosities, the study of which is now so essen- 

 tial to the philosophic botanist, — since it is from them that the theory 

 of structure is principally deduced, and upon them also that we 

 may expect to found some definite laws regarding the limits of va- 

 riation in each species. He then alluded to some remarks he had 

 formerly made, on the nature of parasitic Fungi, with reference to 

 Verger's researches^ and stated that he considered it still an open 

 question in general physiology, whether a plant or animal might 

 not, by a morbid process, give origin to one lower in the scale ; and, 

 he pointed out the distinction between this view and the old doc- 

 trine of equivocal generation. 



Dr Balfour exhibited a Carex which had been sent to him by 

 Dr Murray of Aberdeen, found by Messrs Dickie and Templeton 

 in August last, on rocks in Glen-Callader, and which on examination 

 Sir William Hooker had pronounced to be C. riipestris, All. (pe- 

 traea, Wahl.) Dr Graham gave a short summary of what had been 

 done since last meeting in the way of botanical discovery, during 

 the various excursions of the season ; and particularly mentioned the 

 following additional localities for several rare plants. Malaxis pa- 

 liidoso, found by Mr James Dewar ; Acinos vulgaris, Silene Anglica 

 and S. nocliflora, by Dr Dewar, the two latter abundantly ; Trifoiium 

 ornilhopodioides , by Miss Robertson, — all in the neighbourhood of 

 North Queensferry — Linncea borealis, by Mr M'Nab and Dr Gra- 

 ham, near Dalmahoy Hill, Tulipa sylveslris, by Dr Graham^ 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh. Oenanthe pimpinelloides and Juncus 

 ohtusijiorns , by Mr Campbell, near Dunbar. Saxifraga hirculus, 

 by Mr Hunter, on the Pentland Hills, liear the source of the Med- 

 wyn. Veronica Buxbaumii, by Dr Dewar, Mr Roberts, and Mr 

 Bell, in various localities near Edinburgh, on both sides of the 

 Forth. — Carex fulva, not un frequent in several stations near Edin- 

 burgh. Hieracium mnbellatum, by Dr G. M'Nab, in Glen-Clova. 



