The Scotch Laburnum was in full flower last year on June 30. Mountain Ash, although in flower, is very scanty, as well as many Service trees. The common Horse-Chestnut showed its first flowers this year on May 19, but was poor except in favourable situations. No flower-buds are observable on the scarlet Horse-Chestnuts, and few on Pavia flava. The Norway Maple, the common Sycamore, Elm, and other forest trees show little flower. The Gean, which was in full flower on May 10, shows little sign of fruit.

Many American trees, as usual, are late in coming into leaf. This is observable in the Liquidambar, Tulip tree, scarlet American Oaks, deciduous Magnolias, Ostrya virginica, Celtis occidentalis, Robinia of sorts, Taxodium distichum, and the Catalpa tree.

During May the thermometer was only once at or below freezing, viz., on the 10th, and indicated 2°. The six lowest markings were on the mornings of the 10th, 20th, 21st, 25th, 26th, and 27th, when 30°, 36°, 35°, 36°, 36°, and 35° were indicated; while the six highest were on the 1st, 4th, 7th, 15th, 16th, and 17th, when 47°, 48°, 47°, 48°, 48°, and 49° were indicated.

Table showing the Number of Degrees of Frost registered in the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, during each Month, from October 1, 1854, to May 31, 1878.

The thirteen species of hardy herbaceous plants, showing no flowers in May 1877, have bloomed this year.

On May 31, of 295 species in flower on the rock garden, the following were conspicuous :

Leichtlinii.

Cyclobothra cœrulea.

Daphne Cneorum.

Darlingtonia californica.

Draba tricuspidata.
Dryas Drummondii.
octopetala.

Erigeron alpinum.
Roezlii.

Erinus alpinus.

hispanicus.

Fragaria lucida.

Fritillaria kamtschatica.

Gentiana verna.

Geum coccineum, double.

Helianthemums, the earliest

and most conspicuous being Bride, Royalty, and Queen of Spring. Helonias asphodeloides. Hippocrepis helvetica. Hutchinsia alpina. Iberis corifolia.

Iris cristata.

Ledum buxifolium.

Linaria alpina.

Linnæa borealis, American.
Scotch.

Menziesia Drummondii.
polifolia versicolor.
Meconopsis aculeata hybrida.
nepalensis.

Myosotis alpestris.

Narcissus triandrus albus.

Pentstemon humilis.

procerus.

Pernettya angustifolia speciosa.

Phlox Nelsoni.

setacea violacea.

Polemonium humile.

Potentilla alpestris.
dubia.

lupinoides.

peduncularis.

Primula capitata

cortusoides amœna.

luteola.

sikkimensis.

Rhododendron lepidotum.

Rubus arcticus.

Saponaria ocymoides major.

Sarothamnus scoparius pen

dulus.

Saxifraga peltata.

pyramidalis, with others.

Silene acaulis.

Smilacina bifolia.

Symphyandra Warneri.

Uvularia stellata.

Veronica Guthrieana.

rupestre.

June was mild and pleasant, somewhat hot towards the end, when a severe thunderstorm, accompanied by rain and hail, damaged the leaves of herbaceous plants, such as

Rheum officinale, Vegetable Marrow, &c. Easterly winds were prevalent, with occasional showers.

Arboreous vegetation, although earlier than 1877, is still ten days behind, few trees being seen with their leaves thoroughly developed. The greatest display of foliage is on Plane trees, Limes, Elms, Service trees, Horse Chestnuts, and Thorns, already noticed for scarcity of flowers. The Lime is not yet in bloom, and gives little promise of flower, owing to the points being destroyed by caterpillars. Easterly winds have been very destructive to the blossoms of fruit trees; and there is prospect of little fruit. Early in May the leaves of many trees were scorched by lightning. Greenfly is numerous and destructive, though slugs as yet

are scarce.

A large tree of the flowering Ash (Fraxinus Ornus) in the centre of the garden, which generally blooms freely, came into flower on June 18, while the first flower opened on the 28th last year, but instead of 400 or 500 heads being expanded at one time, not more than eighty could be counted, and these small and of short duration. Many Service trees which fruited last season have few flowers. A large tree (Sorbus domestica), noticed for its systematic flowering, exhibits the same peculiarity, but in a less degree. The top of the tree is divided into two leading heads, which flower alternately each year. Last summer the western half was loaded with flower and fruit; this year, only three or four dozen heads were visible, and on the eastern half. On the Sorbus terminalis, particularly noticed in 1877 for the abundance and brilliancy of its fruit, not a flower is to be seen. The foliage on all the Service trees is perfect. Walnut trees look as if they would be barren. Their foliage is poor; many of the leaves fell off early, quite black.

The Elder (Sambucus nigra) is not overloaded with flower; the first flower appeared on the 15th, while the same plant bloomed last year on the 27th. The Portugal as well as the Bay Laurel, often in bloom at this time, has no flowers and scarcely any buds. Holly, which last winter gave such a show of fruit, and which ought to be in full flower now, has very few yet visible, while clusters of last year's berries still adhere to many plants. Yew berries were also abun

dant in the autumn of 1877, but very few are now seen, even in the green condition.

Ghent Azaleas have been full of blossom, and the beautiful Rhododendron hirsutum and ferrugineum were perhaps finer than for many years. Of 50 plants of Kalmia latifolia, in the garden, not one is in flower, though all are healthy, and vary from 2 to 36 feet in circumference. Some large plants of Wistaria sinensis, usually covered with flowers, are this year bloomless, though the plants are vigorous.

The scarcity of bloom is mainly owing to the unripened state of the wood for want of sun during the last two summers. In those instances where the bloom has been plentiful, as the Ghent Azaleas and alpine Rhododendrons, the flowering growths were unusually short.

In the rock garden 360 species and varieties were in flower on June 30. Perhaps the most striking are varieties of Orchis foliosa and O. maculata superba, usually cultivated in dampish soils, but here they flower freely in the comparatively dry stone compartments. Many plants put in with single roots are now tufts, with many heads of flowers. O. maculata superba has heads of flowers 5 inches long and 5 inches in circumference.

The alpine Poppies are very beautiful, being crosses between Papaver alpinum, P. nudicaule, and others. They are white, yellow, and orange, and vary in size and colouring.

Orobanche rubra (Red Broom Rape), which flowered last year with eight spikes of flowers, has this year forty-two heads. It is parasitic on the roots of the white Thyme. This tuft of Orobanche is 16 inches square. A portion of the Thyme is growing on stone and on the ash-walk as well as on the soil; some flowers of Orobanche are seen on each place.

Calculating the night temperatures above freezing during June, I find that the aggregate is 493°, while the corresponding month of 1877 indicated 485°, showing a difference of 8° above last year.

The six lowest night temperatures above 32° amount to 236°, while the six lowest last year made 241°. The aggregate of the six highest this year was 334°, while 325° is the amount recorded last year.

The six lowest night temperatures were on the 4th, 5th,

6th, 11th, 13th, and 14th, indicating 36°, 38°, 42°, 41°, 39°, and 40°; while the six highest were on the 20th, 23d, 27th, 28th, and 30th, indicating 54°, 55°, 57°, 56°, 58°, and 54°. The following are some of the conspicuous plants blooming in the rock garden :

XXVI. On the Genus Halophila.-By BAYLEY Balfour, Sc.D., M.B. (Plates VIII-XII.)

(Read July 1878.)

Amongst the plants I collected at Rodriguez when I visited the island, in 1874, as naturalist accompanying the 'Transit of Venus' expedition, are two species of marine Phænogam, both of the Naiadaceous genus Halophila.

They occur abundantly in widely extended patches on the reefs surrounding the island. One, H. ovalis (R. Br.) Hook. fil., grows on spots which are just uncovered at full ebb tide; the other, H. stipulacea (Forsk.) Aschs., prefers localities