450 



Proceedings of the British Association. 



summer of 1844. These were, 1. Alsine stricta, discovered on Widdy- 

 bank Fell, in Teesdale, Durham ; 2. Carduus setosus, growing near the 

 shore of the Frith of Forth, in the neighbourhood of Cullrow ; 3. Galium 

 Vaillantii. 



Mr. O. A. Moore read a report • On the Flora of Yorkshire,' written 

 at the request of the Council of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, the 

 drawing up of which had been intrusted to himself and Mr. Baines. In 

 this list were included 1,117 species and 158 varieties, exclusive of a few 

 whose claims to be regarded as Yorkshire plants rest on insufficient 

 grounds. Of these about 87 species and 81 varieties were mentioned, 

 which had not previously appeared in any general list. 



Mr. Babington observed, that the occurrence of Orobanche rubra in 

 Yorkshire proved that this plant was not, as supposed, sometimes con- 

 fined to basaltic formations. It was always found growing on the roots 

 of Thymus serpyllum. 



The President stated, that a paper ought to have been brought be- 

 fore the Section, 'On the Phosphorescence of Mosses,' by Mr. Fox 

 Strangways, but this paper had unfortunately been lost. — Mr. Babington 

 said, that he had observed the light called phosphorescence in mosses, 

 particularly in the Schistostega pennata. He could not explain the cause 

 of the occurrence of this curious phenomenon. — Prof. Balfour referred 

 to some recent papers on this subject, and spoke of the curious light 

 given out by flowers of an orange and red colour. It was well known 

 that many cryptogamia gave out light during their decomposition. — 

 Chevalier Schomburgk had been frequently surprised in the forests of 

 Guiana at the bright light given off by plants belonging to the fungi. 

 He had also seen it occur during the decomposition of the cassava 

 roots. — Dr. Lankester stated, that it had been supposed that Schistoste- 

 ga pennata exhibited the appearance of phosphorescence on account 

 of its crystalline structure. Mr. Edwin Quekett and himself had, 

 however, examined the moss in vain for crystals. He believed that the 

 phenomenon of phosphorescence might be referred to the union of 

 oxygen with the tissues of the vegetable, producing a low form of 

 combustion, and in which light was emitted. — Prof. Allman considered 

 the light observed to issue from colored flowers an optical delusion. If 

 it were real phosphorescence it would be seen better in the dark than 

 in the twilight, which was not the case. He did not consider that this 

 kind of light had any analogy with that which appeared from the stems 

 of decaying trees and cryptogamia. 



Mr. Allis, of York, whose exhibition of living ferns in the gardens of 

 the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, caused so much astonishment, 



