REPORTS OF SOCIETIES. 



131 



F. dentata, ValiL Smooth, narrow-fruited Corn Salad. A. June — August. 

 Horbury, and occasionally in corn fields in the neighbourhood. 



Order—DIPSACE.^. 

 DiPSACUS. Linn. Teasel. 

 Fullonum, L. Fuller's Teasel. B. August. An' escape from cultivation. 

 D. sylvestris, L. Wild Teasel. B. August — September. Frequent. 



ScABiosA. Linn. Scabious. 

 S. succisa, L. Devil's-bit Scabious. P. July — September. Frequent on 

 the limestone. The root ends abruptly as if it had been bitten off — 

 hence Gerard says, " old fantasticke charmers report, that the divell did 

 bite it for enuie, because it is an herbe that hath so many good vertues, 

 and is so benificial to mankinde." Parkinson thinks, " the Monkes and 

 Fryers were the inventors of the Fable ; " whilst an " old writer" 

 quoted in Sowerby's 3d. Ed. English Botany says, " This plant is so 

 named, because with this root the Devil practised such power, that the 

 Mother of God, out of compassion, took from the Devil the means to 

 do so with it any more ; and in the great vexation that he had, that the 

 power was gone from him, he bit it off, so that it grows no more to this 

 day." 



Botanical Society of EniNBrEGH. 



XXIX SESSION — IX. MEETING. 



The Society met in the Histological 

 Class-room, at the Royal Botanic Garden, 

 on Thursday, 13th July — Dr. Alexander 

 Dickson, president, in the chair. 



The following donations to the Library 

 were laid on the table : — Catalogue of the 

 Indigenous and Exotic Plants growing in 

 Ceylon ; by Alexander Moon, 1824. His- 

 tory of Drugs ; by M. Pomet, 1748. 

 Presented by Mrs. Bevan, per Mr. Brand. 



The following donations to the Herba- 

 rium : — From Mrs. Royle, part of the 

 Indian collections of her husband, the late 

 Dr. Forbes Royle, transmitted through Dr. 



Forbes Watson ; from Mr. John Sim, 

 Perth, specimens of Potamogeton nitens j 

 from Dr. F. B. White, specimens of Tor- 

 tula Miilleri, collected near Craiglockhart ; 

 from Mr. P. K. Vartan, medical missionary, 

 plants from Nazareth ; from Professor 

 Piazzi Smyth, plants from Egypt ; from 

 Dr. G-. R. Tate, specimens oiAtriplex littor- 

 alis, from the Isle of Wight. 



The following donations to the museum 

 at the Botanic Garden : — From Dr. Cleg- 

 horn, bark of Bauhinia diphylla ; from Dr. 

 G. Bedie, sandal wood oil and the roots of 

 a plant used as salad in India ; from Dr. 

 Thomas Balfour, croix seeds ; from Dr. 

 Mackenzie, fan made of palm leaves and 

 bamboo cane. 



The following communications were 

 read : — 



I. Supplementary Notes upon the Yegeta- 

 tion of the Sutlej Valley. By H. Cleg- 

 horn, M.D. 



