Mr. A. White on Petasida ephippigera. 409 



tioned, that it follows in tropical and warm regions the cultivation 

 of the sugar-cane closely. The cattle eat it only when young. 

 General Hard wick e, as mentioned by Lindley in his ' Vegetable 

 Kingdom/ reports that the tubers of this sedge are administered 

 successfully in cases of cholera by Hindoo practitioners, who call 

 the plant Mootha. It is a very pretty sedge, and would form a 

 nice appearance on lawns did it not spread so rapidly and prove 

 so injurious to the soil, which it exhausts in a very short time. 



Hypoporum nutans, /3. hirsutum, N. ab E. in Mart, et Endl. Fl. Bras. 

 Fasc. iv. v. p. 170. 



The roots of nearly all the sedges possess more or less tonic 

 and aromatic principles, but none more than the above species, 

 in which that property is not alone restricted to the roots, but is 

 likewise possessed by the stems and leaves. The Macusi Indians 

 call it Cumi or Wanarappa, and it is used in child-bed, likewise 

 for pains in the stomach, in fevers, and in aromatic baths by the 

 Indians. I have collected it on the savannahs near the Tapocoma 

 lake in the regions of the sea-coast, and observed it abundantly 

 on the great savannahs of the rivers Rupununi and Branco. 



XLII. — Note on Petasida ephippigera, a Grasshopper found in 

 the interior of the Northern part of Australia by Mr. Dring and 

 Dr. Leichhardt. By Adam White, F.L.S., Assist. Zool. Dep. 

 British Museum. 



The amount of nondescript subjects in the animal kingdom, 

 noted in recently published books of travel and voyage in this 

 country, is very considerable; and if we include the animals 

 figured and described in the zoological works, the result of the 

 voyages of H.M.SS. Beagle, Sulphur, the Erebus and Terror, 

 and Samarang, the number would be very great. A systematic 

 list of these accessions, carefully drawn up and digested, would 

 form a most important addition to zoological bibliography, and 

 would be hailed by naturalists abroad and at home as a most 

 timely and useful assistant. Were foreign naturalists to do the 

 same with the voyages and travels which appear in their respective 

 countries great service would be rendered ; for notwithstanding 

 the able reviews of Miiller, Erichson, Loven, Schaum, and M. 

 Guerin-Meneville, such lists systematically arranged would prove 

 singularly useful, and would often prevent collision and a worse 

 than useless synonymia, many of these books not being obtained 

 by these reviewers. Out of five books on Australia published by 

 Mr. Boone, and one on New Zealand by Mr. Murray, the descrip- 

 tions of new species and genera are numerous, and must be re- 

 ferred to by the zoologist ; besides, in many cases there are very 

 Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Vol.xx. 29 



