56 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
is membranous, the colour dark olive, the veins everywhere reticulated 
with oblong areolæ, the areole next the costa, or principal midrib, being — 
the longer and largest, and bounded by an arcuate veinlet. Znvolucre — 
forming a shallow cup at the apex of small stalks, stipitate, and opening E 
outwardly, filled with long-pedicellated capsules, exactly as in D. pro- - 
lifera. These stipitate involucres filled with capsules have much the . 
appearance of some species of Zrichia among the Fungi. : 
Fig. 1. Portion of a frond with sori :—magnified. 
BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
Letter from PRorEssoR PARLATORE fo Mr. P. B. WEBB, 
on his Journey in Scandinavia and Lapland. E 
Florence, November 25, 1851. — 
I left Florenee on the 3rd of May, and remained a few days at 
Milan: from thence on the fourth day I reached Berlin. I was desi- 
rous of consulting Humboldt and Von Buch on my projected voyage, 
and I cannot express to you the extreme kindness I experienced, parti- 
cularly from the former of these eminent men. Humboldt gave me a 
magnificent introduction to the King of Sweden, which secured me not ; 
only a special reception from His Majesty, but likewise most useful - 
letters in his name to all the authorities throughout Sweden and 
Norway. 4 
: From Berlin I continued my journey to Hamburg, where, as at 3 
. Berlin, I made a few botanical excursions; and then proceeded by p 
land through Holstein and Schleswig, and so through the islands of 
. Fionia and Zealand to Copenhagen. Here I saw Schouw, suffering | 3 
.  unluckily from headaches, and Liebmann, with whom I likewise made — 
Mer several exeursions. I now embarked for Gothenburg, where I made * 
the acquaintance of Lindeberg, and thence passing across the Venem — 
. and Vettern Lakes and through the Gotha Canal I reached Stockholm. … 
. Here, as at Copenhagen, I remained a whole week, and explored the … 
environs botanically. I became acquainted with Andersen, Wahlberg, —— 
Wickstrém, and Thedenius. The first of these has sailed in a Swedish 
corvette for a voyage round the world. From Stockholm I reached 
Upsal, where it was a great pleasure to me to meet with Fries and 
Areschoug, who received me, as wherever I went I was received, most 
