BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 383 
Partridge Pea, a less showy, but, to my mind, a more beautiful 
and elegant species than C. marilandica, and less common than 
either that or C. nicticans, in the vicinity of Philadelphia. AN ` 
three exhibit a high grade of vegetable irritability, the leaflets 
closing together almost as soon as gathered, or even when rudely 
handled or brushed by the feet in walking through the herbage. 
The evening was much clearer, and quite, though not disagreeably 
cool; night, fine starlight, when we reached Philadelphia, about 
9, P.M. The various Orthoptera and Hemiptera, Crickets, Lo- 
custs, Cicadas, &c., which so abound here, were very busy and 
loud after sunset, even with the now diminished temperature ; the 
Katydids, in particular, were extremely loquacious and importu- 
nate. The two succeeding days were very damp, close, and over- 
cast, with mizzling rain and much wet at night. 
August 24th. Found Mr. James this morning with his hand 
in a terrible state from accidental contact, during our late expe- 
dition, with the Poison Oak or Poison Vine (Rhus toxicodendron 
or R. radicans), though where, or at what moment, he touched 
one or other of these venomous shrubs, he was quite unable to 
say. This gentleman is so susceptible to the poisonous influence 
of these plants and of the swamp Sumach (R. venenata) that 
momentary contact, or a brush from a branch in passing through 
a thicket, or getting over a fence, is sufficient to mduce in him 
the usual irritative inflammation. For this reason he is obliged 
to be constantly upon the look-out for his “old friends,” as he 
jocosely calls them, which unfortunately abound too much in the 
haunt of the botanist, to be easily avoided by him, whatever may 
be his vigilance and circumspection. To persons so constituted, 
this liability to meet an envenomed foe at every step, is a great 
drawback to the enjoyment of a sylvan stroll, as to others would 
be a ramble through a grove filled with wasps’ nests. Mr. J. 
finds Ammonia the best antidote to the poison of the Rius, and 
generally carries a small phial of it about him when in the country. 
In the present case, the remedy was applied too late to avert 
the consequences it could only assuage. When [ called this 
day, a large space on the back of the hand was covered with 
| VOL. VII. Yo Meo ded 
