116 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



home, together with descriptions of new species, will be found in 

 the Proceedings of the Society between 1863 and 1865. Apart 

 from this, we have abundant evidence of Mr. Weir's industry 

 and keenness of observation. In addition to flowering plants and 

 Ferns, he made a very extensive collection of Mosses and Liver- 

 worts, including numerous new species, which were published in 

 vol. xii. of the Journal of the Linnean Society. He retained 

 a considerable portion of his collections till within a few days of 

 his end, when, at his special request, it was sent to Kew. 



Would that the Society had the means of sending a collector 

 now to the mountainous districts of Central and Northern China, 

 where such a wealth of new and probably hardy plants lie wait- 

 ing for us ! 



THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND THE 

 SEVERAL RAILWAY COMPANIES. 



The Council of the Society are very frequently receiving 

 communications from Fellows to the effect, " Why do not you 

 arrange for cheap tickets on show-days for Fellows by rail?" 

 and they have at various times semi- officially approached indivi- 

 dual railway companies, but without success. 



Thinking that an official letter addressed to all the companies 

 at the same time might meet with greater favour, they caused 

 the following letter to be sent to them all : — 



" Sir, — I am instructed by the Council of the Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society to submit to the Directors of your Company the 

 following facts with a view to obtain for the members of the 

 above Society facilities similar to those which have been granted 

 to the Royal Counties' Agricultural Society, the Bath and West 

 of England, and other Societies having analogous objects, with 

 admitted benefit both to the railway companies and to the 

 Societies so privileged. Briefly, the proposal made by the Council 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society is that the Fellows of our 

 Society should be permitted, upon presentation of their cards of 

 Fellowship at any station (subject to a radius limit if thought 

 necessary), to obtain a return ticket to London at the cost of a 

 single fare upon any of the days upon which the meetings 

 (shows) and lectures of the Society are held at the Drill Hall, 



