THE BOTANICAL LECTURES AT THE ROYAL 
VETERINARY COLLEGE. 
In reply to several inquiries we may inform the members of 
the profession in general that the Lectures on Botany have been 
supplemented throughout the summer session by weekly excursions 
into the country and practical demonstrations in the field, which 
have added much to their value, and enabled the students to master 
many of the details of the science not otherwise so easily attain¬ 
able. The last of these excursions was made on Wednesday, 
June 26th, when, through the liberality of the London, Til¬ 
bury, and Southend Railway Company, the class, at the charge of 
2s. per head only, was enabled to visit Southend accompanied by 
their teacher, Dr. Cobbold. This excursion was organized by Dr. 
Cobb old, chiefly for the purpose of bringing to the notice of the 
students examples of many marine plants with which the coast 
here abounds. The trip proved a most enjoyable one, mentally as 
well as corporeally, and was regarded by all as an appropriate 
ending of the first course of Botanical Lectures delivered at the 
College. 
MISCELLANEA. 
NOTES ON THE EFEECTS OE EROST ON TREES. 
In the earlier volumes of the ‘ Philosophical Transactions’ wc 
read of freezing rain which fell in the west of England in Decem¬ 
ber, 1672. This rain as it fell on the branches of trees immediately 
formed into ice of such a thickness, and icicles of such a size, as to 
break down the branches of our hardiest plants, while that which 
fell on the snow immediately formed into ice, without sinking into 
the snow at all. The destruction amongst trees was beyond any¬ 
thing known in history. The sprig of an ash tree weighing just 
three quarters of a pound, when covered with this ice weighed 16 
lbs., and the noise of the clattering of the icy branches dashing 
against each other was so great as to create quite an alarm amongst 
the people. Yet strange to say, during this curious phenomenon, 
little or no frost was observed on the surface of the ground. This 
frost rain was followed by glowing heats, and a wonderful early 
development of flowers and fruit followed. —Scottish Farmer. 
