96 NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
describes and figures it under the name Plumbago toxicaria. 2. The 
mucilaginous fruit Chirangabua, much used by the Caffres medicinally, 
and which is that of the Pedalium Murex. 3. Erythrina hastafolia, 
Bertol. fil, a new species transmitted by the Cavaliere Fornasini on 
account of its great beauty ; it was also gathered by Forbes at Delagoa 
Bay, on the same coast. 4. The Mavi of the Caffres, the poisonous 
bark of which is used by them as a test in judicial trials. The Cava- 
liere was himself present on one of these occasions, when both parties 
. died within an hour after taking the poison. Professor Bertoloni de- 
scribes it (from a pod and leaf only) as a new genus, under the name 
of Mavia judicialis, but it is probably not distinct from the Cassa, or 
judicial plant of the natives of Congo, alluded to by Brown (App. to 
Tach. Congo) as a species of Erythrophleum. 5. The Guiguetto of the 
Caffres, a vegetable butter, not produced on the Mozambique coast, | 
but imported from the interior, from whence also were received the 
flowering specimens and fruit sent by the Cavaliere Fornasini. Pro- 
fessor Bertoloni, after a detailed discussion, comes to the conclusion 
that it is identical with the Shea-tree of Park, and thence gives it the 
name of Sheadendron butyrosum. Owing, apparently, to some mistake 
as to the ovary, which the Professor does not appear to have dissected, 
he could not refer his plant to any known Natural Order. We should, 
however, have no hesitation in referring it to Combretacee, differing 
only from Combretum itself in the absence of any wings to the fruit. 
Brown has shown that the Micadania, or Butter-tree of Soudan, which 
he considers as identical with the Shea-tree of Park, is undoubtedly 
a Sapotaceous plant, which G. Don has published as Bassia Parkit. 
There must be, therefore, some error either as to the specimens given 
by the Caffres to Fornasini, being really those of their Butter-tree, or 
in the conclusions of Bertoloni as to its identity with the Shea. 
The materials collected by so zealous an observer as the Cavaliere — 
. Fornasini, in the hands of the two active and intelligent Professors of 
Bologna, may lead to many important results in regard to the numerous 
little-known vegetable products of the interior of Africa. It is to be — 
hoped, however, that Messrs. Bertoloni will have the means of consult- 
ing several of the recently-published works on the subject, to which they _ 4 
do not appear to have had access, and the want of an extensive general — 
herbarium at Bologna renders the identification of plants from tropical | j 
countries a matter of great difficulty. : i 
