70 



Botanical Society of Edinburgh 



"The general character of Shetland vegetation," says 'Mr. Ed- 

 monston, " seems to be sub-alpine or nearly so, for we find plants 

 belonging properly to that region in every situation, such as Thalic- 

 trum alpinum, Draba incana, &c, which grow down almost to the 

 sea-level." 



The list of species which accompanied this paper comprehends 

 395 in all, viz. 286 phanerogamic and 109 cryptogam ic ; the latter 

 consisting of 22 Ferns, 65 Mosses, and 22 Hepatica?. 



4. Account of a Botanical Excursion in Norway, by Dr. John 

 Shaw. 



The circumstance that most struck Dr. Shaw in this tour was the 

 almost total absence of Calluna vulgaris, which covers our Scottish 

 moors, but which in Norway is so far from being common, that 

 throughout an extent of 600 miles he " could scarcely find a specimen 

 of it." He also remarks on the extreme wildness and sterility of 

 some tracts, as contrasted with the fertility and luxuriance of vege- 

 tation in others. The species which he observed were in general 

 the same as those which grow in Scotland ; those not indigenous 

 here being in about the proportion of one to five ; but several plants 

 which are extremely rare in this country, such as Menziesia ccerulea, 

 Pyrola uniflora, and Linnaa borealis, &c, he found abundant in many 

 places. He was also particularly gratified by the beauty and luxu- 

 riance of Trollius europeeus, of which he observed " myriads, with 

 their corollas like half-pounds of butter, gracefully waving their heads, 

 almost in the frozen region." 



The heat of the July sun he describes as most oppressive, and the 

 swarms of gnats as tormenting beyond endurance. 



January 13th, 1842, Professor Christison in the Chair. 

 The following papers were read : — 



1 . Notes on preserving the Colour of certain Vegetables by immer- 

 sing them in hot water, by Mr. Evans. — It is well known to every one 

 who has had any experience in the drying of specimens, that, while 

 many plants are easily preserved by the ordinary means of placing them 

 between layers of absorbent paper, and subjecting them to certain de- 

 grees of pressure, there are others that cannot be so readily dried; and 

 some are even so constant in their tendency to turn black in drying, 

 that this feature has been deemed characteristic of them. The use of 

 hot water, as a means of accelerating the process of desiccation in cer- 

 tain vegetables, has been long known to botanists ; but Mr. E. is not 

 aware of its having been employed, to any extent at least, as a means 

 of preserving their colours. To Mr. Peter Henderson, one of the 

 gardeners at Melville Castle, the chief merit of this application is 

 due, he having, last summer, succeeded by it in preserving Lathr&a 

 squamaria and some other plants which ordinarily become black 

 in drying, particularly Asperula odorata, Melampyrum pratense, Agra- 

 phis nutans, Rhinathus Crista galli, and several Orchidea. During 

 the summer and autumn, Mr. Evans tried the same method, and 

 found that, besides the greater beauty of the specimens thus treated, 

 they could be dried in nearly one-half of the time usually required ; 

 as also that, from the power of hot water in destroying rigidity, 



