374' Botanical Society of Edinburgh. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. February 11, 1858.— Dr. Seller, President, in the Chair. The following papers were read : — 1. "Remarks on the Suborder Orthotrichece,'' by Benjamin Car-rington, M.D. Dr. Carrington pointed out the futility of founding genera on cha-racters depending upon the peristome alone, which he considered a non-essential organ, and, like the number of petals in flowering plants, only useful as affording specific characters. He also drew attention to the importance of studying more carefully than had hitherto been done, the limits of variation of individual species, for which purpose the bryologist should acquaint himself with the plant in its different stages of growth, and its appearance on certain soils, and in humid or dry and exposed localities. 2. "Notes of a Botanical Trip with Pupils to Coldstream and Norham, in July 1857," by Prof. Balfour. 3. " Remarks on the Distribution of Plants in the Northern States, Canada, and the Hudson's Bay Company's Territories, &c.," by Dr. George Lawson. Part 1. Dr. Lawson alluded to the favourable conditions afforded by the physical characters of the North American continent for tracing the horizontal range of vegetation. Having recently received extensive collections of North American plants, he proposed to bring before the Society some of the more interesting facts which they served to illustrate. The Arctic forms were first noticed. A collection made by Captain Rae during his last boat-voyage in search of Sir John Franklin, contained only one Fern, the rare Lastrea fragrans {Po-lypodium fragrans, Linn.), from Repulse Bay. Mr. Moore observes, in a letter to Dr. Lawson, that the North American Allosorus gracilis is the Pteris Stelleri of Amman, Allosorus Stelleri of Ruprecht, which name takes precedence. So that it spreads from North America through Siberia to India, whence Dr. Hooker has it. 4. " Notice of the Produce of the Olive Crop in the Island of Corfu during the past Season," by Mr. xMackenzie, of Corfu. 5. " Remarks on a species of Loranthus, and Measurements of Tree-Ferns in Australia," by Mr. Thomas Cannan. Mr. Cannan has sent seeds of a parasitic species oi Loranthus. They are attached to branches, and some of them are beginning to germinate. It is said to produce showy flowers, and to grow on almost any tree with a smooth bark. It grows well on some of the trees introduced into Melbourne gardens, such as the English Oak and Elm, and the common Laburnum. It attaches itself to the native Eucalypti, and is propagated by means of birds, which scatter the seeds. Mr. Cannan also sends the following measurements of Tree-ferns met with during his Australian rambles: — No. 1. From
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