31 
others rectified. Dr. Gray, as usual, takes advantage of this publi- 
cation to put on record some new species by other collectors and 
to revise several genera. One of the most interesting of Mr. Hall's 
discoveries is a new species of Lophoclaena, a grass of singular 
structure. Only one species, L. Californica, has heretofore been 
known ; the new one is appropriately called L. refracta. G.T. 
4, Marsilia—An esteemed correspondent suggests that “the 
notices about the two Marsilias (the old European one from an 
entirely unlooked-for southern locality—Texas—-and a new one with 
an impossible fruit from Oregon) had better be referred back to 
their authors for further investigation.” Discretion on the part of 
the editor is due as well to his correspondentsas to his readers, and 
we take on ourselves, with humility, this censure for over-haste in 
publication. 
45, The Discoverer of Arceuthobium—We notice in the American 
Journal for June, that Dr. Gray, misled by us in our first notice, 
mistakes the title of this lady. It should be not Miss, but Mrs. L. 
A. Millington. 
46. Catalogue of the Plants in Central Park—This catalogue 
was made by men of botanical repute, but not intimately acquaint- 
ed with our flora. We have already had occasion to notice one 
error ; another has been lately brought before us. The Asclepias 
parviflora, Pursh, Mr. Pollard shows from the specimen to be an 
Apocynum. We hope Mr. P. will go over the whole collection, and 
verify it. We doubt, now, the Carya sulcata, Nutt., reported in our 
last number. 
47, A Hint on the Examination of Plants—The inquiry on page 48 
of the last volume of the Butierin (Dec., 1871) induces me to 
mention the following method for making sections of small seeds 
in order to examine the embryo, or cross sections of leaves, an- 
thers, small twigs, ete., in order to examine their structure. I refer 
to the method of embedding, which is by no means new, but may be 
novel to some of the readers of the Butierin. 
The necessary materials for the process may be found in almost 
every house, and consist of a teaspoon and a portion of a sperma- 
ceti candle. Break off pieces of the candle and melt them in the 
spoon over gas or a spirit lamp. When the spermaceti is melted, 
allow the spoon and its contents to cool, until the latter begin to 
congeal ; then embed in the congealing mass the seeds or whatever 
else it is wished to examine, and set the whole aside till cold. Fi- 
ly, by passing the spoon a second time once or twice over the 
flame, the cake which it contains may be removed, and with a sharp 
razor thin sections may be made of the mass and its contents for 
examination under the microscope. In this manner better sections 
a ae made than by holding the object between two pieces of 
rk, 
_ The above is the simplest way. A more elegant mode is to em- 
Ploy a mixture of while wax cad olive oil, about half and half (but 
