Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 9 (1871).djvu/277

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BOTANICAL NEWS. 255

growth, and, what is remarkable, many produce in the axils of the bracts foliaceous buds. These characteristics ally it with S. hncanthemifolia of the Pyrenees, and decidedly to S.foliolosa of Robert Brown, described in Torrey and Gray's American Flora. On reCernniJ^ to notices already given of these forms of saxifrages, I was not surprised to find in the eleventh volume of the 'Annals of Natural History,' in an article by John Ball, Esq., a well-known European botanist, that he bad gathered in the Otzal in the Tyrol the plant described as S. leucanthenufolia, Lapeyr., by Reichenbach and other German botanists, and is quite of the opinion of Bertoloni, that it is only a state of S. dellar'is. Mr. Ball gives its characteristics, showing how near to or identical it is with some of the forms of S. dellans. He mentions a variety of S. slellaris found by him in Curslieve, in Mayo, which is much more different from the ordinary form. It is larger, hairy, and somewhat viscose, the panicle widely spreading, the bracts foliaceous. He considers this to be the same as -S". Clmii, variety a. of De CandoUe's ' Prodromus.' Similar forms have been found by me in Kerry. The late Professor Kinahan mentioned to me that he had noticed in Mayo the singular form »S'. Andrewsii." These notes are merely intended as reference to the plants exhibited, not to any definite descriptions of their botanical characteristics.

Notice had been given at the General Meeting, held on the 5th of April last, " That it would be submitted to the members the necessity of the removal of the museum collections of the Society from Mr. Williams's rooms. Dame Sti'cet, and to adopt means for their further disposal." The following resolutions were proposed and seconded, and passed unanimously: — "That the following gentlemen be nominated to form a Committee for the purpose of reporting the best means for the disposal of the museum collections, viz. Professor Haughton, P. U.S. ; K. P. Williams, Esq. ; Dr. A. W. Poot ; Robert J. Montgomery, Esq., and Artliur An- drews, Esq. That Mr. Montgomery be appointed to act as Secretary to the Comunttee. That the library of the Society be deposited in charge of the Treasurer, Mr. Arthur Andrews."

��The members of the Morocco Exploring Expedition returned to Eng- land in safety. Dr. Hooker arrived on Wednesday, the 20th June, by a private vessel, leaving the collector behind at Gibraltar to pack up the specimens, and follow by the regular steamer. The collections, both living and dried, have reached Kew in good condition, and their deter- mination will soon be commenced ; but of course, from the size and intri- cacy of the numerous large genera of the Mediterranean flora, this will be a work of considerable time and labour. The living plants consist principally of bulbs, Orchids, and Crassulaceae, and the species which/are suitable for general cultivation will, as they reach the proper condition, be figured in the ' Botanical IMagazine.' The dried collection is estimated to contain at least 1000 species. The Atlas collection alone fills four large boxes, and no doubt will yield many interesting novelties, and en- able us to understand clearly the general botanical characteristics of the

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