Geology. 



443 



Useful Application of the dead and dry Stems of the Umbelliferous and 

 other Herbaceous Plants. — Sir, I have before now heard the observation 

 fall from the lips of an uneducated person, when speaking of some plant, 

 or animal, or natural substance, " What a pity it is that it is of no use 1 " 

 and for myself, I always consider it a point gained when any article, hitherto 

 either entirely neglected, or regarded as of little utility, is found to be 

 capable of being turned to account, and applied to some useful purpose : 

 more especially if the article in question be one which can be procured 

 easily and in abundance. I have been led into this general remark by 

 having lately observed the dead dry stalks of Chaerophjllum sylvestre (cow 

 parsley) andi^eraclezww *S'phondylium (cow parsnep) cut into pieces of about 

 a foot long, and hung up in the chimney-corner of a farm-house in this neigh- 

 bourhood ; which, upon enquiry, I was informed had been laid up for the 

 purpose of being used as spills to light candles, &c. It is probable that 

 the dead stalks of many other plants would answer the same purpose 

 equally well. I have tried the experiment successfully with those of An- 

 gelica sylvestris (wild angelica) and ^Scandix odorata (sweet Cicely). It 

 is almost unnecessary to add, that these ready-made spills, which are to be 

 found in the winter, or even spring, in every hedge, wood, or plantation, 

 should be gathered when quite ripe and dead, and must be kept for use 

 perfectly dry. The hollow stalks of the more gigantic specimens of An- 

 gelica sylvestris, which sometimes exceed an inch in diameter, may be split 

 longitudinally into quarters, or still farther divided, before they are applied 

 to the above purpose. Some specimens of each kind 1 herewith send you ; 

 and should you deem this trifling communication at all worthy of being 

 more generally made known, you are at liberty to make any use of it you 

 may think proper. The discovery, if discovery it is, may be of no great 

 utility or importance ; but at least it serves to show historically, and as a 

 matter of curiosity, the purposes to which these neglected vegetable remains 

 are actually applied in some parts of the country. I am, Sir, yours, &c. — 

 W. T. Bree. Allesky Rectory, April 29. 1831 . 



Art. III. Geology, 



Fossil Trilobites resembling 

 Butterflies, (figs. 93. 94.) — 

 Sir, As the locality of various 

 fossils is a desirable thing to 

 be ascertained, perhaps that of 

 the following may be worth in- 

 sertion in your truly valuable 

 Magazine. Last midsummer, 

 whilst I was on a sketching 

 excursion through part of 

 Wales, I was informed when 

 at Llandilo Vawr, that in Lord 

 Dinevor's grounds there were 

 found petrified butterflies. I 

 went in search of them, and 

 discovered what was named 

 petrified butterflies to be parts 

 of a trilobite found in a sort of 

 slaty sandstone of an ochreous 

 brown colour. Their form is 

 very flat compared with those 

 discovered at Dudley, thereby 

 giving something the effect of 

 a butterfly. I have sent two 

 sketches of them; one (^g. 94.) 



