BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 351 
promoting these evacuations is by infusing a handfull of dry Cusso 
flowers in about two English quarts of Bouza, or the beer they make 
from Teff. After being steeped all night, the liquid is fit the next 
morning for use. While the patient is taking the Cusso, he makes a 
point of being invisible to his friends, and continues at home from 
morning till night. Such was the practice of the Egyptians, after 
using a particular medicine. It is alleged that the want of this drug 
is the reason why the Abyssinians do not travel; or if they do, most 
of them are short-lived. Gentle, safe, and efficacious as the Cusso is 
in its native country, I cannot doubt that the superior skill of our 
physicians would turn it to the advantage of mankind in general, were 
it known in Europe.” 
Victrorta REGINE. 
Under the head of Amherstia nobilis, at p. 315 of this volume, we 
incidentally noticed the fact of seeds of Victoria Regine having been 
transmitted from England to India, with the view of adorning the tanks 
of that country with this most glorious aquatic. We have now the - 
pleasure of stating, that from seeds sent out by the Royal Gardens 
of Kew, to Trinidad, to Mr. Purdie, Curator of the Botanic Garden, 
plants were reared and flourished, and from thence We are now im- 
porting well-ripened seeds, which we are distributing in Ceylon, and 
to the hothouses of North America. 
In the Royal Gardens our plants are still (October) in the most 
flourishing condition. From them in part, and in part from the 
` Splendid specimens at Syon, a fasciculus of four imperial folio, highly- 
coloured plates, with accompanying description, is preparing by Messrs. 
Reeve and Benham (the drawings and lithographs by Mr. Fitch), 
which is Y eme: ready for publication. 
rA SPRUCE’S Dried Plants of the Amazon. 
_ The second distribution of the valuable collections of Mr. Spr&ce, 
made on the Amazon and its tributaries, is in progress. Our own set 
has been received, and we have the pleasure of being able to say that - 
the specimens are mostly from Santarem, for the greater part either — 
new or very rare, in excellent condition (and Mr. Spruce furnishes — 
samples with no niggardly hand); and, what adds vastly to their — 
