beginning, and in the greenhouse of the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, in the middle of September. Plants were also exposed in the open border, and flower-buds formed freely there, but too late in the season to be expanded. If turned out earlier, it is possible we may see it forming a noble addition to our half hardy plants.

It was upon Mr Don's authority that in the Botanical Magazine I gave to this plant the MS, specific name of Sesse and Mocinno. The reasons subsequently assigned by him (loc. cit.) for considering it a new species seem perfectly conclusive. I however find the pubescence always articulate.

Michauxia lævigata.

M. lævigata; caule elato, glaberrimo, nitido; foliis duplicato-dentatis, hispidis, radicalibus ovatis longe petiolatis, caulinis sessilibus oblongis, inferioribus base attenuatis, superioribus cordatis ; floribus decandris ; stigma, calyce, corollaque 10-partitis.

Michauxia lævigata, Vent. Hort. Cels. p. 81. t. 81.—Persoon, Synop. 1. 418. Sprengel, Syst. Veget. 2. 213. Michauxia decandra, Fischer, MS.

DESCRIPTION.-Root perennial. Stem (11 feet high) herbaceous, smooth, shining, tapering, subsimple, upright, straight. Leaves sprinkled on both sides with harsh erect hairs, duplicato-dentate, coarsely veined and reticulate; root-leaves ovate, decurrent along petioles longer than themselves, and on the upper part of which there are a few small pinnæ; stem-leaves sessile, the lower ones oblong, and somewhat attenuated at the base, higher up cordate, and more acute, and gradually passing into cordate, acute bractea, with reflected aculei on the margin and on the back of the middle rib. Flowers scattered along nearly the whole length of the stem, on short peduncles in the axils of the bracteæ, expand in succession, and slowly, from below upwards. Peduncles solitary, bearing three flowers, of which the terminal only expands with us. Calyx of ten segments, which are acute, at first erect, afterwards spreading at right angles, reflected in the sides, and fringed with reflected aculei, and of ten other segments, which extend backwards along the pedicel, flat and shorter, but in other respects similar to the first ten, and alternating with them. Corolla white, much longer than the calyx, 10-parted, segments (1 inch long, 1 line broad) linear, revolute, reflected in their edges, and ciliated with reflected aculei along the middle rib. Stamens 10; filaments connivent, subulate, winged, wings reflected villous; anthers as long as the filaments, linear, yellow, bursting along the sides; pollen yellow. Germen top-shaped, inferior, ribbed, 10-locular. Style stout, straight, longer than the stamens, pubescent. Stigma 10-parted, revolute. Ovules very numerous, attached to a large central receptacle. The whole plant yields, on the slightest injury, a large quantity of milky juice. Seeds of this plant, which is a native of the north of Persia, were communicated to the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, by Dr Fischer in March 1829, and the same specimen has been in flower with us for about two months after the middle of August. Even yet (16th October), the flowers have not expanded much above half-way up the stem, and I have no doubt it would have continued in blossom till the frost cut it down, but for an injury which it has received. I had hoped to have received Ventenat's work before this description was printed, but as I have not, the identity of our plant with his may admit of some doubt; but I cannot believe that they are different.

Phalangium longifolium.

P. longifolium; caule simplice, folioso; floribus laxe racemosis, nutantibus; pedunculis congestis, medio articulatis, bracteam acuminatam æquantibus; petalis acutis; filamentis medio tumidis; foliis linearibus, glabris, denticulatis, caulem subæquantibus.

DESCRIPTION. Root fascicled, drawn out into long fibres, swelling into oblong, white, villous tubers. Stem (24 feet high) simple, round, gla

brous, leafy. Root-leaves numerous, lanceolato-linear, channelled, glabrous, ciliato-denticulate, flaccid, about as long as the stem. Stem-leaves similar to the others, but gradually smaller, and passing into bractea upwards, scattered, and stem clasping, acuminate. Bractea dilated at

the base, membranous at the edges, acute; secondary smaller ones within the larger. Flowers in long, lax, terminal racemes, nodding. Peduncles clustered, glabrous, jointed in the middle, dark green in their lower half, paler in the upper. Corolla (14 inch across, when fully expanded) white, of six, wide spread, 3-nerved, oblong, acute, petals, of which the three outer are narrowest. Stamens half the length of the corolla; filaments tumid above the middle, glabrous; anthers orangeyellow, as long as the filaments, emarginate at the apex, notched at the base, bursting along the sides; pollen very abundant, orange-yellow. Pistil rather longer than the stamens; stigma pubescent; style declined; germen linear, trigonous, trivalvular, trilocular, dissepiments arising from the centre of the valves. Ovules attached to a central receptacle, and arranged in two rows in each cell.

Bulbs of this species were brought from Lima last spring by Mr Cruckshanks, under the generic name of Ornithogalum, and flowered in the stove of the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, in September.

Celestial Phenomena from January 1. to April 1. 1831, calculated for the Meridian of Edinburgh, Mean Time. By Mr GEORGE INNES, Astronomical Calculator, Aberdeen. The times are inserted according to the Civil reckoning, the day beginning at midnight -The Conjunctions of the Moon with the Stars are given in Right Ascension.

Proceedings of the Wernerian Natural History Society.

1830, Dec. 11.-ROBERT JAMESON, Esq. P. in the chair.— The Rev. Dr Scot of Corstorphine read a learned essay on the giants" mentioned in the Sacred Writings. The Secretary read a communication from James Wilson, Esq. giving an account of the great Orang-outang of Sumatra, illustrated by figures of the hand and foot, of the natural size. Professor Jameson then gave an account of Dr Gregory's analysis of the compact ferruginous marl of the old red sandstone of Salisbury Crags; and also of the same gentleman's analysis of the limestone of the Red Burn near Seafield Tower in Fife, which is magnesian, but only where in contact with the trap. The Professor also communicated some details in regard to Captain Ross's expedition, and the splendid display of polar lights observed in the Shetland Islands in the month of November last. A sketch of the magnificent fossil tree, at present seen in situ in Craigleith Quarry, with a cross-section of a portion of the stem, exhibiting very nearly the structure of a coniferous tree, was exhibited to the meeting.

At this meeting, the following gentlemen were elected officebearers of the Society for 1831.