could be crossed at some parts dry-shod, and the melting of the glaciers gave rise to inundations in the valley of the Rhone. The paper was illustrated by specimens of the plants collected. 2. Notes on the Cyperaceae (1.) Carex Grahami (Boott); (2.) Scirpus (Eleocharis) uniglumis (H. C. Wat). By BENJAMIN CARRINGTON, M.D.,. Lincoln. Communicated by Professor BALFour. (1.) Carex Grahami, Boott. While engaged making drawings of the Carices, some time ago, I found, mingled with specimens of C. saxatilis, L., from Glen Fee, Clova, two or three plants of larger size, and differing in several respects from the rest. The spikelets were larger, straw-coloured. Glumes acute, much shorter than the pale elliptic-oblong, inflated perigynium, distinctly 4-5 ribbed. The nut was abortive in all the spikes, although mature nuts were present in C. saxatilis. The perigynium of the latter is of smaller size, oval, ribless, and like the glumes, which it equals in length, of a deep purple colour. These characters led me to identify the plant with C. Grahami, which Dr Boott appears to have considered a good species. Wishing to obtain more information, I wrote to Professor Balfour (May 1858), and he was good enough to forward me the specimens preserved in the College Herbarium. In his reply, he remarks, that "C. Grahami is confined to one spot in Glen Fee, pretty high up on the rocks; whilst C. saxatilis occurs commonly in marshy ground, on most of our high hills." The significance of this information will be better understood, when I state, that in one of the Herbarium specimens, we find, springing from the same rhizome, spikes apparently of both kinds. The one, having the dark, ribless perigynium of C. saxatilis; the other, the large, stinted, and abortive fruit of C. Grahami. We frequently meet with deformed perigynia in Carex intermedia (disticha), accompanied by abortion of the nut. This change is probably due to some morbid action of a local nature, by which the growth of the germen is arrested, and the perianth is developed at its expense. C. Grahami retains all its peculiarities under cultivation, and looks even more unlike C. saxatilis. When in Ireland (June 1861), Mr D. Moore, of Glasnevin, was kind enough to show me fruiting plants of both kinds. Upon dissection, however, I found the fruit of C. Grahami enclosing only the undeveloped germen, as in the wild specimens. (2.) Eleocharis palustris, and its Allies. In the fourth edition of "Babington's Manual," we find descriptions of three species of Eleocharis, with lenticular fruit, dilated articulate styles, and two stigmas. Having carefully dissected the species, the following notes may be found useful to others. It should be understood that all descriptions of the fruit refer to the ripe Caryopsis. Plants with mature fruit, especially of the rarer species, are obtained with great difficulty. This may account for inaccuracies of detail, even by such careful observers as Professor Babington. Thus he calls the fruit of E. palustris, round-obovate; of E. uniglumis, pyriform; and E. Watsoni, oblong; whereas I have invariably found that of the first exactly obovate, and of the two latter bluntly rotund-obovate. Eleocharis palustris, L.-Rhizome extensively creeping, woody, giving NEW SERIES.-VOL. XV. NO. I.-JAN. 1862. off fascicles of stems from the upper surface of the nodes, and fibrous roots below. Stems 6 to 12 inches high, terete, finely striate, the interior filled with large membraneous tubes, but without central pith. Sheaths purplish-brown, glossy, the upper one tight, truncate, with an obtuse angle on one side. Leaves none, although the barren stems may be mistaken for leaves. Spikes ovate or ovate-oblong, solitary, terminal. Glumes purple, ovate, acute, with a green midrib, and broad membraneous edges; the two lower glumes equal, shorter, and more obtuse than the rest. Bristles 4, setaceous, as long as the fruit, with recurved teeth, dilated and smooth at the base. Stigmas 2, downy, equal to the dilated, battledore-shaped, persistent, jointed style. Caryopsis pale-brown, lenticular, obovate, with blunt margins; the surface polished, finely striate, and covered with narrow, oblong reticulæ. Eleocharis uniglumis, Link.-In its creeping rhizome, glossy obtusely truncate sheaths, and general habit, this plant resembles the former so closely, that many botanists look upon it as a mere uniglume variety of E. palustris. It is far from a good species. But in the present state of uncertainty as to the limits of species, it is perhaps better to give a name to a permanent variety, than leave it undescribed. It differs chiefly in the lower glume being single, and enclosing the base of the ovate spike. The base of the style is less constricted, broader, and triangular or pyramidal in form. Fruit smaller, rotund-obovate, more tumid and biconvex, glossy, the surface beautifully excavato-punctate, like the marking on a thimble. The cells are larger, and round in this species, and E. Watsoni; whereas, in E. palustris they are narrower, giving the nut a more striate appearance. ß. Watsoni. Eleocharis Watsoni, Bab., Annals Nat. Hist., Ser. 2, x. 32. Through the kindness of Professor Balfour, I have been allowed to examine the remnant of the original specimen, shared with Professor Babington. It consists of three stems, from 2 to 3 inches high, broken off close to the rhizome. These might readily be overlooked as a stunted variety of E. pauciflorus, but the sheaths are purple and polished, and obtusely truncate, as in the former species. The lower glume is solitary, obtuse, surrounding the base of the spike, the upper glumes more acute. Nut orange-brown polished, bluntly rotund-obovate, compressed, with rounded margins, excavato-punctate, and crowned with the broad triangular style, exactly as in E. uniglumis. The only point of difference seems to be the comparative length of the bristles. They are four in number, and dilated at the base, as in the former, but only about half as long as the ripe fruit. I observed, however, that they were relatively longer in some of the upper and less mature florets; and as the bristles are known to be more sportive than any other organs throughout the Scirpece, this character can only entitle it to be ranked as a variety (perhaps an alpine state) of E. uniglumis. Babington describes the fruit as oblong, but this can only apply to the immature germen; it is when ripe nearly round, slightly narrowed at the base.* The species may be thus defined :— Stigmas 2, style jointed, bristles 4, retrorsely hispid. 1. E. palustris, L. Rhizome creeping, sheaths polished, obtusely truncate, two lower glumes equal, nut smooth, finely striate, obovate, compressed, crowned by the ovate base of the style, bristles 4, longer than the germen. 2. E. uniglumis, Link. Rhizome creeping, sheaths obtuse, lower * E. pauciflorus may be distinguished from it by its 3 stigmas, trigonous nut, and the style not being jointed. glume solitary, nut lenticular, rotund-obovate, polished, excavato-punctate, surmounted by the triangular base of the style, and shorter than the 4 bristles. B. Watsoni. Glumes rather obtuse, bristles 4, about half the length of the nut. Mr. M'Nab laid before the meeting several sections of Scotch fir beams, taken from the ruins left by the late catastrophe in the High Street of Edinburgh. These beams had been originally prepared by a rough squaring with an axe, as the corners of each present a smooth appearance, showing where the bark had been removed; and several portions had the bark quite entire, unmistakably proving them to be Scotch fir. In most cases the timber is in excellent preservation, particularly the centre or hard wood. The beams are generally of small sizes, varying from five to eight and ten inches in diameter. The annual circles are very distinct, averaging about fifty-seven in each, showing that the timber, when cut down, was under sixty years of age. He had examined most of the beams while lying for sale in the Green Market, and found that, where the annual rings could be counted, the trees appeared to be all about the same age. Judging from the long and thin nature of the stems, they must have grown very close together; but whether they are Boroughmuirhead or Aberdeenshire timber, it is difficult to say. If the beams were made of Boroughmuirhead fir, one would suppose that they should have been of much larger size and considerably older. It is doubtful if timber sawn up for rough building purposes, as now used, will last as long as timber with all its heart-wood entire such as has been employed in these old buildings. A few large sawn fir beams 1 foot broad and 7 inches thick, with large annual rings, were likewise seen amongst the ruins; but their ages could not be ascertained, as they are only the centres of trees. Their freshness, their rarity, and being sawn into their present shape, would make one suppose them to have been of more recent date than the mass of axedressed timber. A few beams of oak were also got amongst the ruinsrough axe-squared, similar to the Scotch firs-the outer or sap wood very much decayed, while the inner or heart-wood was quite perfect, and very dense. Their supposed age when cut must have been about eighty years. Mr J. Sadler stated to the meeting that in the "Phytologist" for this month (December 1861), at page 378, it is stated, on the authority of an anonymous collector, that Saxifraga cernua occurs abundantly on Ben Ledi. This he looked upon as a mistake. The collector had probably mistaken Saxifraga nivalis for S. cernua. Mr Sadler and many others, including Professor Balfour and his class, had visited Ben Ledi, and examined it carefully, but had never seen Saxifraga cernua, which in Britain seems to be wholly confined to Ben Lawers. Mr William R. M'Nab exhibited specimens of Coleoptera he had received from George Patton, Esq., which had been destroying the Conifera in the Pinetum at the Cairnies, Perthshire. Hylobius abietis, Linn., the pine-weevil, and Gonioctena litura, Fab., seemed to be the insects that did the mischief; but the most remarkable fact was the occurrence of Mysia oblongoguttata, Linn., which, in company with a very large number of Anatis ocellata, Linn., had committed such havoc in search of the Aphides on which they feed, that the value of Lady-bugs in destroying these Aphides was doubted; and when they occurred in such numbers as they were found by Mr Patton, they had become positively injurious. Mr W. R. M'Nab also exhibited a piece of the bark of Wellingtonia gigantea acted upon by a salt of iron, which indicated the presence of tannin. Mr R. Brown laid before the Society several specimens of the following rare or remarkable Algo from Brighton: (1.) Dasya, sp.? allied in the form of its vesicles to Dasya ocellata, and in its habits to Dasya arbuscula; closely connected, if not specifically the same, with Dasya punicea of the Mediterranean. (2.) Phyllophora, sp.? allied to P. rubens, but apparently distinct, if specimens connecting the two forms are not found. 1st, With tubercular fruit wrinkled with sinuous processes. 2d, With leaflets covering nemathecia. 3d, The same less advanced, or another form of fruit. 4th, A branch to show the mode of growth, the fronds proliferous from near the apex, whence they spring with a short stem. The habitat is among sponges, Rytiphlæa pinastroides, Nitophyllum laceratum, &c. (3.) Fresh and dried specimens of the rare Codium Bursa, Ag. These specimens had all been found by Mrs Merrifield, the authoress of the "Natural History of Brighton," and examined by Professor Harvey of Trinity College, Dublin, who had expressed his opinion as above. (4.) Many specimens of Cladophora Merrifieldia, which, owing to his absence from Britain at the time when the communication describing it was read to the Society, he was unable to exhibit. He remarked that at the time he described it he did not consider it as certainly a permanent form of that very difficult and changeable genus, but that, being more distinct than many species of the genus already described, it was well to note the form. It may be classed under the same category as Cladophora Gattyæ, Hass., whose specific claims must, it is to be feared, remain for long sub judice. (5.) Cladophora glomerata, Hass.* Mr Brown also exhibited beautifully carved spoons (made out of a single piece of the sugar maple) from the bazaar of Ispahan, and used by the Persians in drinking their national beverage-sherbet. Royal Physical Society. Wednesday, 27th November 1861.-T. STRETHILL Wright, M.D., President, in the Chair. The President gave an opening address, in which, after recording the work of the previous session, and noticing the death of Professor More, and the removal from Edinburgh of Mr A. Murray and Dr Cleland, he re marked; We are Good steady work has been done, and patiently recorded. men of work, not of talk. We have given forth no voice on the grand hypothetical questions which are now troubling the commonwealth of Natural Science. We have been singularly apathetic as to whether or no, the stock of our first parent struggled upwards through innumerable adversities from a monad to a man. I fear, indeed, that we are prejudiced people, and would rather leave the question as we found it settled many a year ago at our mother's side. We have given no opinion, as to whether the king of the Gorillas died gloriously advancing on his terror-stricken foe, and beating a far-resounding tattoo on his tympanic chest, or whether † Brit. Fresh-Water Algæ, i. 213. Microspora glomerata (Hass. in Ann. Nat. Hist.) Conferva glomerata, Dill. Conf. t. 13. he was brought to the ground by a rifle-shot in his cerebellum, while ignominiously bolting up a tree. But we have been jotting down hard little facts, rough diamonds, which by-and-by we may see taken up and ground, and polished, and set by other hands,-central points of crystallization, which we may find dotting the pages of great standard volumes, and glimmering from amid the small type of their foot-notes and indices. Sic itur ad astra. These small facts are the foundations of adamant on which the vast inverted pyramids of science are balanced. In their discovery they are providential revelations, which, though neglected for ages, may in a moment endow mankind with unhoped for welfare and prosperity. How often have men, dreaming of the transmutation of all metals into gold which would be useless, of the attainment of the Elixir which would confer a dreadful immortality, cast aside the talent placed within their hands, and all that would have made the life ordained for them useful and happy? How often, while invoking all nature to furnish them with the impossible Roc's egg, have they pushed aside the little, dusty copper lamp, which, in return for diligent rubbing, would have invested them with the powers of the genius of Arabian fable! How little did he, who first noticed the attractive property of the loadstone, imagine that to him was revealed a power which would one day guide the commerce and navies of the world over the pathless seas,-which would veer off the floating city, laden with the hopes of a thousand human hearts, and careering over the dark waves with the speed of the wind, from the treacherous iceberg and the crashing floe,-which would link together in the closest bonds all the kingdoms of the earth,—which could correlatively transmute all the forces of nature-and which may one day render the great sea itself one mighty storehouse of fuel and power for the benefit of mankind! How little did he, who first linked together an atom of hydrogen with two of carbon and three of chlorine, dream that then was revealed to mankind the beneficent Elixir which would cause that dread and ancient travail of the woman to cease,—which would change the despairing moan and the agonizing terror of the operating table for a calm and dreamless slumber, and which shall render the fame of Dumas and Simpson undying, until the stream of time shall flow for suffering humanity no more! So it may happen that some unambitious observation made here may throw unexpected light on the geology of our country,-may endow vast districts with mineral wealth undreamt of,-may modify all our received views of cell-life-and put down a hard little point, on which may rise the Physiology and Pathology of the future. Let us therefore go on as we have done, not urged by the desire of fame or notoriety, but constrained by the love of knowledge and truth. Our Society has still another function. It plays its part as an exponent, through its reports in the daily press, of the progress of Natural Science -a knowledge which cannot fail sooner or later to give a higher tone to the literature and cast of thought of our country. It is painful to notice how the writings of many of the most talented and accepted authors of our day are entirely uninfluenced by the sublime realities of Creation,—realities which excel in their grandeur the most transcendent dreams of the imagination. The poet who prates of "the pale cold moon," and the "throbbing and pulsing stars," as the bashful witnesses of some illicit love affair, entertains or feigns an infinitely more degraded conception of his relation to the Universe in which he is placed, than the child who lisps at evening, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, For that wonder, which accompanies the little one in this his first step to |