Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



69 



handsome bush or small tree, remarkable at a short distance for the 

 bright hue of its leaves;" — of S.fragilis and S. Russelliana, "that 

 they both form large trees, but do not appear to grow so fast, or to 

 attain so large a size, as S. alba." 



2. On three newly proposed species of British Jungermannw, by 

 Dr. Taylor, Dunkerron. Communicated by Mr. William Gourlie, jun. 



This paper, though valuable to the botanist, is of too technical a 

 kind for even an abstract of it to be given here. One remark by the 

 writer may be inserted, and it would be well if the rule, which he 

 justly commends, were followed with regard to many other groups 

 of plants, till, by repeated observations, they have become sufficiently 

 known. He says — " It was with great propriety that the distin- 

 guished author of ' British Jungermannise ' placed certain specimens, 

 then newly discovered, which had been found in small quantities 

 and in limited localities, as varieties of the species which they most 

 nearly approached, leaving to future and more extended observation 

 the task of raising them to a higher rank, if supported by competent 

 distinctions." 



3. Remarks on the Flora of Shetland, with a full catalogue of 

 plants observed in these islands, by Mr. Thomas Edmonston, jun. 



Mr. Edmonston observed, that the botany of Shetland had never 

 been adequately investigated. Dr. Neill, who spent ten days or a 

 fortnight there in 1804, was the first to enter upon this field, and he 

 was followed by Dr. Gilbert M'Nab, who spent a few weeks there in 

 1837. Mr. Edmonston (a native of Shetland) has devoted the last 

 four years to this agreeable pursuit, and in that time has visited the 

 whole district. Two years ago he transmitted to London a list of 

 the plants which had then been observed by him, and this list, though 

 incomplete, and in some instances inaccurate, made its appearance 

 lately in the ' Magazine of Natural History,' without any previous 

 intimation, so that he had no opportunity of correcting it. 



The Orkney Islands, which are numerous, stretch about seventy 

 miles from S.E. to N.W. Their zoological formation is altogether 

 primitive, the most abundant rocks being gneiss, granite, and lime- 

 stone, which are very generally covered by large tracts of peat moss, 

 and often destitute of all vegetation excepting the commonest bog- 

 plants. Unst is the most northerly island, and is also the most di- 

 versified in its formation ; gneiss, mica-slate, chlorite-slate, and ser- 

 pentine being all found on it. Its vegetation is equally varied, some 

 of the species being peculiar to it in Britain, and others being rare 

 elsewhere. The most interesting of these, viz. Arenaria norvegica 

 and Latliyrus maritimus, were discovered by Mr. Edmonston, when 

 he was little more than twelve years of age. Ronas Hill, which at- 

 tains an elevation of about 1500 feet, is the highest land in Shetland, 

 and it is only upon it that the botanist meets with anything like 

 alpine vegetation. The largest island, usually called the mainland, 

 presents little of interest ; but is, for the most part, a succession of 

 dreary peat moors, occasionally enlivened by Scilla verna and Pin- 

 guicula vulgaris ; nor are the other islands generally more productive, 

 though sometimes a fertile spot occurs* 



