150 



Proceedings of Societies, 



In a letter which I lately received from Mr John Robertson, Glasgow, 

 he says : — " I have been to Glen Turret and Ben Chonzie, and the follow- 

 ing are some of the few rarities I collected, A solitary tuft of Tortula 

 tortuosa in fruit, on Ben Chonzie ; Bryum roseum, but not with capsules. 

 In a fruiting state I found Oligotriclium hercynicum, Tetraplodon 

 mnioides, Splachnum amjyullaceum, S. sphcericum, Encalypta cilioAa^ 

 Climacium dendroides^ &:c." 



Mr Sadler exhibited specimens of Trichomanes radicans which he had 

 received from Mr Walter Gait, Glasgow, accompanied by the following 

 note, dated 26th August 1863 : — " I enclose you fronds of Trichomanes 

 radicans^ collected by jMr George S. Combe in the Island of Arran, Firth 

 of Clyde. It occurs in two separate patches, one of which is about 3 

 feet square, seemingly a natural habitat." 



Thursday, 10th December 1863. — Professor Balfour, President, 

 in the Chair. 



A letter was read from Major Cowell, conveying the thanks of H.R.H. 

 Prince Alfred for his election as an Honorary Fellow of the Society. 



I. Notice of the Occurrence o/Polypodium calcareum, near Aberdeen. 

 By Mr James Robeetson. 



Mr Robertson states that he had discovered this plant in August 1862, 

 growing in the debris of a limestone quarry in Scotston ]\loor, near Aber- 

 deen, along with P. Dryojyteris. He was disposed to look upon the plant 

 as being wild in that locality. Professor Dickie, however, believes that it 

 has been introduced, and he has learned that a gentleman's gardener in the 

 neighbourhood was in the habit of planting ferns in waste places. Speci- 

 mens of the plant were exhibited from the Scotston station. 



II. Account of the Vegetation of the Cliffs ofKilJcee, County Clare, 

 Ireland. By N. B. Ward, Esq. 



In compliance with Professor Balfour's request, I send a brief account 

 of the vegetation of the Cliifs of Kilkee, and its neighbourhood, which 

 I visited last summer, in company with Professor and Mrs Harvey, and 

 an old friend, Mr Snell, with my daughter. During our stay, we visited 

 Loophead, at the mouth of the Shannon, and an intermediate portion of 

 the cliffs, on which Baltard Castle is situated. Five days were spent at 

 Kilkee, one at Baltard Castle, and one at Loophead. The vegetation at 

 the three places was so perfectly identical, as to lead us to the conclusion, 

 that the same geological structure prevailed throughout, consisting of 

 hard grits, shales, &c., a conclusion which was confirmed by a subsequent 

 visit to Mr Jukes of Dublin. 



Kilkee is situated on the west coast of Ireland, exposed to the tide 

 force of 2000 miles of unbroken seas, — the waves of which roll in with 

 such power, as to furnish abundant food to periwinkles, located on rocks 

 200 feet above high water-mark, and to supply the wants of marine plants 

 which cover the summits of cliffs, varying in height from 150 to 400 feet. 

 That physiological law by which plants, under adverse circumstances, 

 produce their flower and fruit, if they can do nothing else, is here 

 strikingly exemplified. Looking at the stunted character of the vegeta- 

 tion, one might imagine oneself in a high alpine region — many species 



