224 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



In several places the well-known soap-wort, 

 {Saponaria officinalis), so often found as an escape 

 from cottage gardens, is extremely abundant, and 

 grows very luxuriantly a considerable distance from 

 habitations. I think it may be justly considered 

 as indigenous here; Bentham says "perhaps 

 really native on the coast of Devon and Corn- 

 wall." 



Still further inland I saw a few plants of the wild 

 clary (Salvia verbenaca), which is a fairly common 

 plant in this part of North Devon ; very fine specimens 

 of the mullen {Verbasciim thapsics), wild vervein 

 ( Verbena officinalis) — I could only find one plant ; 

 wild succory {Cichoriuin intybus), sheep's-bit,(ya«f«^ 

 montaiia), and many other commoner, but equally 

 beautiful plants. But it is in the boggy parts of the 

 "Burrows" that the most interesting species occur. 

 Between the hills in many places the soil, although 

 consisting almost entirely of sand, contains so much 

 moisture as to have quite a marshy character, and 

 many marsh-loving plants grow luxuriantly. The 

 sea-pansy ( Viola Curtisii) is exceedingly abundant, its 

 pretty little yellow flower is one of the gems of the 

 "Burrows"; this is considered by Bentham as a 

 mere variety of V. liitea ; it is intermediate between 

 this and the garden pansy. The beautiful little 

 bog pimpernel [Anagallis tenclla) grows plentifully 

 along with it, its pink flowers forming a pleasant 

 contrast. The dwarf centaury (Erythrcea pulchella) ; 

 brook -weed [Samoliis valerandi), the specimens of this 

 plant are very small, usually about three inches high 

 and often much less. The very rare yellow Bartsia 

 (Bartsia viscosa) I only saw in one place, it grew 

 along with the common red species (B. odentites). 

 The stork's-bill {Erodiiim ciciitariiim) is one of the 

 commonest plants on the " Burrows," varying much 

 in size according to the nature of the situations. I 

 also saw the milk-wort {Polygala vulgaris), sea- 

 lavender {Statice limonitim), thrift {Arineria maritima), 

 and the stinking iris (Iris fcEtidissima) ; the latter plant 

 was in fruit. These are only a very few out of a 

 great many commoner plants I noticed in the few 

 hours I spent in the district ; probably had I time for 

 another visit, I might have noticed many other 

 species. 



I may add that this is the only British station for 

 the roundheaded club-rush {Scirpus holoschcenus) ; it 

 is said to be plentiful on the " Burrows," but I was 

 disappointed in not finding it. The sea-stodc 

 [Matthiola sin7iata), bastard pimpernel (Ccntunculus 

 tninifnus), sea-knotgrass {Polygonum maritiinum) and 

 marsh helleborine (Epipactus palustris), are also 

 recorded for Braunton Burrows. 



I think I have said sufficient to show that this 

 station would be well worth a visit from any of the 

 botanical readers of SciENCE-GossiP who may be 

 spending a holiday in Devonshire. 



John Collins. 



Birmingham, 



EGYPT AND GUIANA. 

 A Coincidence. 



THE study of the progress of mankind in the art 

 of manufacture is a subject of great attraction 

 to the student of science ; any detail, therefore, which 

 bears upon the art, adds one more link to the chain 

 of knowledge. 



Referring to the native Indians of the South 

 American Continent, and more especially to the 

 inhabitants of the vast regions of Guiana, it has been 

 noted as a very remarkable coincidence, that the 

 decorative patterns which frequently ornament the 

 borders of the " Simarri " or grater (a flat slab of 

 wood, surfaced with a resinous gum, embedded with 

 numerous small pieces of flint upon which to grate 

 edible roots), resemble the fret patterns of ancient 



Fig. i88.— Guiana Root-press. 



times ; the Greek key or Meander device, so 

 common in Egyptian and Assyrian ornamentation and 

 on Etruscan and Greek vases, being of constant 

 occurrence. The coincidence is certainly striking, 

 but a fact still remains with regard to which, so far 

 as known, no attention has been hitherto paid. 



If we turn to the " Malapi " or Strainer (a long 

 cylindrical plaited case, permitting of great circum- 

 ferential expansion and contraction, wherein the 

 grated roots are subjected to great pressure for the 

 expulsion of their juices), its origin appears buried in 

 oblivion. Some wild tribes go so far as to ascribe 

 its knowledge as a gift imparted direct to them by 

 the beneficence of their deity, but beyond this the 

 question remains unanswered. 



But once more do the long ages of the past cast 

 back their beams of light upon the enquiries of the 



