314 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
of which that author says, “ Les tiges mâchées rendent un suc doux et 
sucré, L'extrémité de la tige porte les fleurs; cette partie de la tige 
sert pour faire les flèches.” It is probably the Arrow-Reed of Tropical 
America. 
We were particularly gratified to receive, as we have just done, from 
Dr. Imray of “ Roseau,” Dominica, fine flowering specimens of this 
same Reed, and thus ascertaining that it is the identical Reed (roseau) 
that gave a name to the capital of the island, now, being in possession 
of the British, more generally called Charlotte's Town. “I have sent 
you," writes Dr. Imray, * by the brig Creole, a case containing flowers 
of a species of Reed, here called, par excellence, * the Roseau The 
town derives its name from it, the site being covered with the plant 
when the island was settled. The flowers will keep uninjured for five 
or six years, and I think you will consider them very pretty. The 
ladies here (Dominica) use them as ornaments in their drawing-rooms, 
—two or more of the reeds, with their graceful, large, and drooping 
panicles of dry flowers, forming a kind of pointed arch above a mirror 
or painting, or anything else; and really the effect is very good.” 
Fine specimens of this stately grass, from Dr. Imray, are deposited in 
the Museum of the Royal Gardens. 
Notes on the Botany and on the Government Gardens of Bombay ; by 
Dr. J. E. Stocks, Conservator of Forests and Superintendent of 
Botanic Gardens, Bombay Establishment: extracted from a letter 
addressed to the Editor ; dated Sattara, May 7th, 1852. 
About the flora of this Presidency I can of course say nothing at 
present. Three months is not quite enough to enable one to take in an 
idea of a vegetation from Goa to Deesa (north and south), and from Bom- 
bay to Ahmednuggur. But Dr. Gibson is the man to tell you all about 
our side, knowing, as he does, not only every part of it, but almost 
- every village, and he could give as clear an account of the whole, as he 
has already done of Guzerat, in his memoir in the Bombay Medical 
Transactions, which perhaps you know,—if not, I can send; but I do 
not think much of extensive novelty remains here. Fragments may be 
picked up doubtless, and I think I have a few already ; but as our 
limits only extend to Vingorla (just the beginning of the rank vegeta- 
