Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



155 



The following were the species described, viz. J. Wilsoni, Taylor, 

 discovered by William Wilson, Esq., at Cromaglown, Killarney, in 

 November 1829, and named in compliment to him by Dr. Taylor. — 

 ./. stelktlifera, Taylor, also discovered by Mr. Wilson, who found it 

 near Crich, in Derbyshire, in September 1833. — J.voluta, Taylor, 

 and /. spicata, Taylor, both discovered near Killarney, in 1841, by 

 Dr. Taylor. 



Mr. Gourlie afterwards exhibited specimens of the following 

 plants : — Leskea pulvinata, Wahl., discovered near York by Mr. R. 

 Spruce, and Gymnostomum Hornschuchianum, Arnott, discovered at 

 Cromaglown by Dr. Taylor, both new to the British Flora ; Jun- 

 germannia Balfour iana,Ta,y\. MSS., a new and highly curious species 

 brought from New Zealand by Dr. Stanger, and named by Dr. Tay- 

 lor in compliment to Professor Balfour of Glasgow, from whose 

 herbarium the specimens were communicated. 



Notice of the discovery of Herniaria glabra in Berwickshire, by 

 Mr. William Marshall, and of Linncea borealis in the same county, 

 by Dr. Johnston ; communicated by Dr. Greville. — The former of 

 these species has generally been regarded as a native of the south of 

 England, but there seems no reason to doubt its being indigenous in 

 the above station. It was observed that Mr. Gorrie had found the 

 plant abundantly in Perthshire, where he had no doubt it must have 

 escaped from gardens, though now quite naturalized, and almost a 

 weed in some places. 



The discovery of a new station for the lowly but beautiful plant 

 named in honour of Linnaeus is always a matter of interest, and 

 especially in the south of Scotland, where it occurs very rarely. 



On four new species of Desmidium, by Mr. J. Ralfs. — Mr. Ralfs 

 observes, that " this natural genus is not well denned either in 

 Agardh's ' Conspectus Criticus Diatomacearum,' or in any of our 

 British works." Its best distinctive character seems to consist in the 

 crenated appearance of its filaments, which is least evident in D. mu- 

 cosum. These filaments, which are generally twisted in a regular 

 manner, are of a pale green colour, simple, fragile, short and straight. 

 The species are found during a great part of the year in clear, shal- 

 low pools, or in old peat-bogs, the filaments being scattered in 

 loose bundles in the water, or forming a thin gelatinous fleece at the 

 bottom of the pool. The species ascertained by Mr. Ralfs are named 

 by him D. cylindricum, mucosum, Swartzii, and Borreri. 



Illustrative Drawings of Australian Plants, by the Misses M'Leod 

 of Sydney. — These drawings, which are extremely well executed, 

 were transmitted to this country by the ingenious ladies, in order to 

 have the species ascertained which had most struck their fancy in 

 that land of remarkable productions. 



Mr. Edmonston read a letter from Mr. P. J. Brown of Thun, re- 

 specting the three species of Primrose usually considered to exist in 

 this country. He says, " Against Sir James Smith's opinion (in 

 4 Rees's Cyclop.') that P- elatior may be a mule between veris and 

 vulgaris, I may observe that the three are not often the inhabitants 

 of the same district, — veris is almost universally diffused ; but where 

 vulgaris is very abundant, I have rarely seen elatior in any quantity, 



