Natural History in London. ' 189 



The gardens will be open to members from eight o'clock, A.M. ; but they 

 will be in complete readiness for the reception of visitors only from ten 

 o'clock to sunset. The museum will be open from ten o'clock to six. 



We cannot but regret that a liberal institution should have been obliged 

 to resort to admission money ; so many regulations, too, are bad on the face 

 of them. If accompanied by more than two, it will not be the value of the 

 " one shilling for each extra person " that will be the most painful, but a 

 sense of restraint, more easily conceived than expressed, and amounting al- 

 most to a feeling of degradation. Then the purchase of " ivory tickets," by 

 those who can afford them, at once makes two classes, and consequently 

 ranks of those who ought to be one, and, as members of the society, on a 

 perfect footing of equality. We should have thought the feeling produced 

 in the Horticultural Society, by the creation of different ranks and privi- 

 leges would have operated as a warning in this case. Our opinion is, that 

 in all literary or scientific societies, it should never be in the power of 

 wealth or hereditary rank, as such, to procure any advantage over the poorest 

 member of such societies. But perhaps our opinion is erroneous, and we 

 are quite willing to listen to that of others. Instead of the first five of the 

 above regulations, we would allow every member to give as many admis- 

 sion tickets as he chose, and we should say, that the more he gave, the 

 more would the objects of the society be promoted : or, if money is to be 

 taken at the door, let it be taken from those who present themselves. — 

 Cond. ? 



Medico-Botanical Society. — May 9. Several books, and a variety of 

 rare plants were presented, and two papers read. On the Haimarada of 

 Demerara, Vandellifl diffiisa Lm. Scrophularineae {fig. 82.), by Dr. John 

 Hancock of Demerara. This humble 

 plant, which grows on the road-sides 

 m Guiana is, by the Dutch Creoles, 

 called " Bitter Blairr," and is an- 

 nounced by the author as most effi- 

 cacious in several diseases of the na- 

 tives, but more particularly intermit- 

 tent fevers. A paper on the Bushmen 

 of the Orange River, and their poi- 

 soned arrows, by Mr. Louis Leslie, 

 assistant surgeon of the 48th regi- 

 ment, and communicated to the So- 

 ciety by Sir James M'Grigor, Presi- 

 dent, was also read. The author, who was stationed on the banks of the 

 Orange River, South Africa, before the post was abandoned, after giving a 

 short description of the appearance of these miserable beings, who are said 

 by him to live on locusts, ants, and some farinaceous roots, states, that he 

 has not been able to procure one authenticated relation of death in man 

 from the effects of the arrows employed by the Bushmen in self-defence. 

 Mr. Frost, the director, delivered some extemporary observations in very 

 good style on the plants, chiefly from the hot-house and green-house, fur- 

 nished by our neighbour Mr. Campbell from the Bayswater botanic garden. 



Zoological Imposture. — A female bear, shaven, and dressed as a woman, 

 is now exhibiting in a caravan in the Borough, as a monstrosity of the 

 human species from the deserts of Arabia. The animal is placed in an arm- 

 chair, and tightly but concealedly strapped to it, so as to assume the 

 appearance of a human figure in a sitting position. The skin of the hands 

 and feet, besides being closely shaved, is artificially coloured. — J,R. 

 May 15. 



