GLASGOW SOCIETY OF FIELD NATURALISTS. 197 



fuchsia, and lonicera, the honey-suckle. The names then become so 

 numerous that Mr, King only gave an outline of all their work. 

 Botany was first studied in Britain in the 16th century — the father 

 of British botany being Turner, a clergyman, who wrote the first 

 good English Herbal. Gerard, who was born in 1545, wrote an 

 herbal containing the properties of all the known plants of his day. 

 Then arose Johnson, who wrote the first local Flora; Parkinson, who 

 wrote the first book on gardening; and Evelyn, who wrote on forest 

 trees. Caesalpino was the first to try and classify plants. In the 

 early part of the seventeenth century, arose the great Eeay, whose 

 system of classification forms the basis of that adopted at the present 

 day. Mr. King closed his paper by giving a short sketch of the 

 classifications of Caesalpino and Reay. 



15th Decembek, 1876. 

 Mr. W. J. Milligan, Vice-President, in the chair. 



SPECIMENS EXHIBITED. 



Mr. R. H. Paterson, F.C.S.S., reported the discovery of a moss 

 new to science. It was found growing on rocks in Argyllshire in the 

 summer of 1875. It has been called Stereophyllum Patersoni by the 

 Rev. John Fergusson, of Brechin, in honour of Mr. Paterson. It is 

 the only British representative of the genus Stereophyllum. He also 

 exhibited the following new species of fungi : — Sepforia Patersoni, 

 Ustilago CandoUea, Tympanis pinastri, Uredo alchemillce, Trichobasis 

 rumiciim, and yEcidium phaselL All these fungi were gathered in 

 woods near Ballimore, Argyllshire. 



By Dr. Nairne. — The dental arch of the white shark, also 

 specimens of fossil wood, from Carrayle, and a number of fossil 

 shells, etc., from the London clay. He also exhibited a number of 

 specimens of fossil teeth, and a small specimen of a stalactite. 



By Mr. R. H. Paterson. — Five species of fungi new to Britain, 

 which he had gathered in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens. (See 

 " Scottish Naturalist," January, 1877). 



PA.PER READ. 



Dr. Nairne then read an interesting paper on Infusoria and 



