54 
angustifolia 
^ 
of K, latifolia. It is remarkable, therefore, that it should be used as 
a tonic by the Crees. The coldness of the climate of Canada, may 
however, modify the development of the poisonous principle, if the 
plant really' possesses any. 
.^ Spicate Inflorescence in Cypripedium insigne.—Ai a recent meeting 
of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, Mr. Thomas Mee- 
han referred to specimen before him, of Cypripedium insigne^ an orchid 
from the cooIet4)art5 of the East Indies, which had a spike with two 
flowers and othe>.pndeveloped buds, the normal character being a 
one-flowered scap^v These departures from the normal form, he 
iiaid, afforded valuabVe^^essons, though frequently passed over as mere 
freaks of nature. A spicate infloresence was a common characteristic 
in allied species. From the present illustration we might infer that 
the one- flowered kinds were species ifi*^hich the power to develop 
a proper spike had been arrested. We might expect to see attempts 
at this form of inflorescence in Cypripedium acaule of our own country. 
A very important lesson from these occasional departures had but 
recently had the attention given to it that it properly deserved, and that 
was that whenever any particular plant departed from its normal form, 
there came into existence other characters, which, in a separate plant 
would, and often did, obtain for the new departure the rank of a 
species. In this instance, the second flower on the spike was different 
from the lower and normal one in the upper segment of the perianth 
(sepals) having a regular outline. In the normal form it was so crum- 
pled as to present a trilobed appearance. In the normal form the 
labellum was so elongated as to be three times the length of the 
column. In the upper flower the labellum was but double the length, 
givmg It a somewhat globular appearance. There were other varia- 
tions that formed a combination of characters quite sufficient to mark 
a species if they were constantly produced in a separate state. Why 
could not this rare occurence become a continuous one, and thus a 
new species be formed— created, we may say— out of an older one? 
There can be no reason why not. We may call this a freak of nature, but 
It could not have occurred without that combination of circumstances 
which we call law. We have no warranty for saying that a law which 
has operated to produce a departure in a solitary instance like this, 
might not have a more permanent power at some other time. Nor is 
there any warranty for believing that a law which has operated as we 
see here on one plant, might not operate on a hundred, or on all the 
plants of a district, or even on plants in separate districts widely sep- 
arated from each other. 
Abrus precatoriii$.~T\\Q pretty scarlet seeds of this leguminous 
plant, known as * red bean ' and ' love pea,' contain a poisonous prin- 
ciple, and, according to Mr, Boverton Redwood, are used in the 
Punjab for poisoning cattle. The shell of the seed is removed, the 
seed softened in water and pounded into a paste, which is then rolled 
out into little cylinders, about three-quarters of inch long, sharpened 
at one end. After careful drying, the cylinders are further sharpened 
by being rubbed on a brick, and are finally soaked in animal fat, and 
fitted into a wooden handle with their point just protruding. Upon 
