340 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURCrtTi --February 9, 1854. — Professor Balfour, President,, mi the Chair. The following papers were read : — 1 . " On the occurrence of Anacharis Alsinastrum in Ireland/' by G. Dickie, M.D. The author remarks that they have probably the earliest record of the presence of the Anacharis in the United King-dom, for Mr. John New, a gardener, informs him that "about eighteen years ago, the pond at Waringstown was cleared of overhanging trees, when the Anacharis was immediately observed, after the planting of some aquatics, making it necessary several times during the summer to clear it out. It is not known whether it existed in the pond pre-viously to the above date, or was introduced with the aquatics at that time. For many years its name was not known to any person in the neighbourhood.' ' 2. "Notes of a Botanical Trip to the Tents Muir, in the north of Fife, in July last," by Mr. G. Lawson. The object of these notes was to call attention to a rich locality, which, although within easy reach, had not hitherto been much examined by Edinburgh botanists. It is an extensive tract, chiefly of sand dunes, extending along the coast from Ferry-Port-on-Craig to the river Eden. The following were among the plants noticed : Anagallis tenella, Lycopodium inunda-tum, Littorella lacustris, Teesdalia nudicaulis, Radiola Millegranaj Sisymbrium Sophia, Fumaria mici'antha, Senecio viscosus, Juncus balticus, Papaver Argemone, Chrysanthemum segetum, Veronica Ana-gallis and scutellata, Peplis Portula, Malva sylvestris, Myosotis col-Una, Bryum warneum (Mr. Ogilvie), Weissia nigrita, Bidymodon inclinatum, Stereocaulon tomentosum. The pools and moist hollows on the Muir were rich in freshwater Algae, including Nostochinese and Desmidiese. The party did not find Isnardia palusfi'is, and fancied that the abundance and luxuriance of Peplis Portula might have led to some mistake. The Peplis afforded a retreat for myriads of Hydra viridis. 3. "Notice of Localities for Rare Plants in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh," by Mr. G. R. Tate. The following were among the plants noticed : — Alyssum calycinum. On debris below the Queen's drive, near Duddingston. " I noticed the plant in this locality in the month of May before it was in flower ; at that time there were a number of specimens. As the season advanced and the locality became more generally known, nearly the whole were eradicated. It is hardly possible that the Alyssum could have escaped the notice of the nume-rous botanists visiting Arthur's Seat and its neighbourhood, had it existed in this locality for any length of time. The probabihty is, that it had been introduced by seed sown, at no very distant date, by some one anxious to add a species to a flora already overstocked with doubtful natives. I obtained this plant at Burntisland, in very small quantity." v.;^,^ UiL, , .i„,fai
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