Royal Society oj Edinburgh, 



315 



4. Notice of a Simple Method of Approximating to the 

 Koots of any Algebraic Equation. By Edward Sang, Esq. 



5. Notice of the State of the Open- Air Vegetation in the 



Edinburgh Botanic Garden, during December 1863. By 

 J. H. Balfour, A.M., M.D., F.E.S., F.L.S. 



The state of the vegetation in the open ground of the Botanic 

 G-arden during the month of December 1863 was so very remark- 

 able that I have been induced to submit a notice of it to the Royal 

 Society. The number of phanerogamous species and varieties in 

 flower during the month amounted to 245 ; of these 35 were spring- 

 flowering plants which had anticipated their period of florescence, 

 while the rest were summer and autumn flowers which had pro- 

 tracted their flowering beyond their usual limits. 



The following are the details as given by Mr M'Nab : — 



Plants in flower in the Eoyal Botanic G-arden, Edinburgh, from 

 1st to 31st December 1863. 



Annual plants, chiefly summer and autumn flowering 



species and varieties, ...... 36 



Perennial plants, chiefly summer and autumn flowering 



species and varieties, • 133 



Trees and shrubs, chiefly autumn flowering, , . 41 

 Spring-flowering trees, shrubs, and perennial herbace- 



The state of vegetation in December was much influenced by the 

 nature of the weather during the preceding months of October and 

 November. No marked check was given to it during these months, 

 and the temperature was such as to stimulate the action of the cells 

 and vessels of the plants. In December the comparatively high 

 temperature continued. I have asked my friend, Mr Alexander 

 Buchan, Secretary of the Scottish Meteorological Society, to draw 

 up for me a tabular view of the temperature of the three months 

 during the last seven years. I have supplied the lowest daily tem- 

 peratures, as observed in the Botanic G-arden ; and for want of suffi- 

 cient data in the garden, he has selected for the other data a sta- 

 tion in Eife (Balfour) where the temperatures in general resemble 

 much those noticed at the Botanic Garden. (I hope to be able to 

 make arrangements in future for a full series of thermometrical, 

 barometrical, and hygrometrical observations being made at the 

 Botanic Garden.) 



ous plants, 



35 



Total flowering plants, 



245 



