132 



THE NATURALIST. 



II. Notes on the Forests of India. By Dr. 

 Brandis, Inspector-General of Forests in 

 India. 



III. On the Influence of Forests on Cli- 

 mate, By M. Becquerel. Translated 

 from the French and communicated by 

 Mr. G. M. Lowe. 



Mr. Lowe gave a condensed account of 

 M. Becquerel's paper on forests, and their 

 effects on climate, read before the French 

 Academy in May last. The first portion 

 of the paper gives an account of the extent 

 of forest land in France from the time of 

 Julius Ccesar. The second is on the action 

 of forests on climate. This, he says, 

 depends, firstly, on their extent ; secondly, 

 on the height of the trees and their nature 

 whether having caducous or persistent 

 leaves ; thirdly on the amount of evapora- 

 tion by the leaves ; fourthly, on their 

 capability af absorbing and radiating heat; 

 and, fifthly, on the nature and physical 

 condition of the soil and subsoil. This 

 influence is also exerted on running streams 

 and springs. 



IV. On the History and Structure of 

 Urococcus. By Charles Jenner, Esq. 

 This little known and rare plant was 



first noticed by Mr. Hassall in 1845, and 

 was by him named Urococcus, from the 

 circumstance of a peduncular process, as 

 he called it, depending from the nucleated 

 cell, which it has in common with Agardh's 

 Hcematococcus and others. Mr. Jenner 

 exhibited a set of microscopic preparations 

 and a series of beautiful drawings, executed 

 by Mr. Neil Stewart, showing that the 

 process called a peduncle by Hassall, and 

 subsequently by Berkeley, Henfrey, and 

 Braun, is in reality a stem, bearing on its 

 apex the nucleated cell. Mr. Jenner 

 showed the close afiinity between Gloeo- 

 capsa and Urococcus, and illustrated the 

 more complicated structure of the latter by 

 a reference to the simple structure of the 

 former. Mr, Jenner gathered his plants 

 in some caves on the west coast of Arran, 



V. On the Occurrence of Calluna vulgaris 

 in Nova Scotia. By Professor Lawson, 

 Dalhousie College, Halifax, N. S. 



Professor Lawson referred to the various 

 localities where the plant had been disco- 

 vered in America, and enclosed specimens 

 collected near Halifax, in 1850. 



Professor Balfour noticed the several rare 

 plants lately collected near Edinburgh, in- 

 cluding Schoenus nigricans. Largo Links, 

 (Mr. Sadler), Car ex incurva, Largo Links 

 (Mr. Gilbert Stewart), &c. 



A note was read from Mr. G. W. K.Hay, 

 in which he referred to the tendency this 

 season of ternate-leaved plants to produce 

 four leaflets, as in clover, laburnum, straw- 

 berries, &c. 



Dr. Kirk presented specimens of Cheil- 

 anthes Kirlcii, from Africa, and seeds of 

 a new banana, called Musa Livingstonii. 



Mr, M 'Nab placed on the tables a collec- 

 tion of interesting Alpine plants and ferns, 

 also a fine fruited plant of a rat-tailed 

 radish from Saharunpore. 



Norwich Naturalists' Society. — The 

 usual fortnightly meeting of this society 

 was held on Monday evening, August 7th, 

 in the rooms, Surrey Mews, Mr. I, S, 

 Sayer, President, in the chair. The hon, 

 secretary, Mr, T. E. Gunn, read a paper 

 on the Pallas Sand Grouse, Syrrajotes 

 paradoxus, and exhibited drawings of the 

 birds, the feet, and the sternum or breast 

 bone of the same. The paper contained 

 an account of the principal localities 

 visited by the extraordinary flight of 

 wanderers during the year 1863 ; the ac- 

 counts of which are chiefly gleaned from 

 the numerous records of their occurrence, 

 which appeared in the various Natural 

 History Periodicals that were published 

 during that period. It also contained a 

 few brief remarks relating to their habits, 

 peculiar form of foot, &c,, and a full des- 

 cription of their plumage, shewing the 

 distinction between the sexes. Mr. J. 

 Perry exhibited several examples oiNeuria 

 Saponarioi, which he had taken at Horsford 

 during the previous week. Amongst the 

 fresh captured specimens of lepidoptera ex- 

 hibited by Mr. T. E. Gunn, were ifeZa?i^/i.m 

 alhicillata, Scotosia duhitata, Cosmia' 

 diffinis, var. s^nd AmpMpyra pyramidea. 



