64 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



lichens, from the ''Challenger" expedition, and made some remarks 

 on their distribution. Especially noteworthy among them, from its 

 bearing on questions of plant-distribution, was a moss, Myurium 

 Hehridarum, from Furnas in the Azores. This species was known 

 only from some of the Western Isles of Scotland until found by 

 the present expedition in the Canaries and the Azores ; at the 

 latter station a specimen with seta attached was found, showing 

 that it had fruited. Among the lichens from Furnas, one Sticta 

 Damcecornis, var. Canariensis, occurs also in Skye. The Azores 

 being true oceanic islands, renders the question of the connection 

 between these isolated stations one of extreme difficulty ; but the 

 materials now being collected by the expedition respecting the 

 vegetation of such islands may throw some light upon it, as may, 

 perhaps, the fact that the Azores are culminating points of a 

 submarine ridge, the southward extension into the basin of the 

 North Atlantic of the plateau from which rise the Hebrides along 

 with the Faroe and other islands, 



EXCURSION. 



StrathUane. — Mr. F. G-. Binnie gave an account of this excur- 

 sion, Viola Jlavicornis was found generally distributed along the 

 hill slopes there ; and the A7'um maculatum was observed (evi- 

 dently a garden escape) in the grounds of Carbeth Guthrie, adjoin- 

 ing the Colt's Lane. 



The larvae of JEupithecia sobrinata were taken on a juniper near 

 the Deil's Craig Dam, and were exhibited at the present meeting 

 chiefly to show the protective coloration of the insect at this stage 

 of its existence. 



PAPER READ, 



Dr. Stirton read a paper in continuation of a former one on the 

 peculiarities and organization of Lichens. On the present occasion 

 he dwelt chiefly upon the more recent contributions to our know- 

 ledge of the physiology and reproduction of this class, and 

 discussed, in the light of these fresh facts, the theories which had 

 been advanced to explain certain functions and products that are 

 still veiled in some obscurity. The paper was illustrated by 

 diagrams. 



In connection with remarks made on the advantages of taking 



