280 Retrospective Criticism, 



(Vol. V. p. 758.) — With due deference to Mr. Bree's olfac- 

 tory nerves (see Vol. V. p. 758.), I still aver that the wood 

 anemone (A. nemorosa) is most deliriously scented ; and, as 

 a proof that I could not mistake it for the " delightful fra- 



f ranee " which, Mr. Bree rightly observes, abounds in woods, 

 beg to state that my attention was first called to the fra- 

 grance of the flowers of this plant by a gentleman's bringing 

 some of them, which he had gathered during a stroll in the 

 fields, in his hand to the garden. He extolled their fra- 

 grance; I smelt to them, and, to my surprise, found them as 

 he represented. I afterwards found that the flowers pro- 

 duced by the plants in the garden were fragrant also ; and, a 

 few days after, walking through a wood where the anemone 

 formed a complete carpet, I made the observation published 



| is-^-tiM^^- 5 *^ to by Mr * ft^^y** 



fo iMhapt lohddiia 3& Jo fippslloo ym ni naraiosqa a moil) 

 J he Persian Ins (ins persica) I should pronounce to be 



very strongly scented ; but, I recollect, about three years since, 

 a young lady making several visits to the old botanic garden, 

 almost on purpose to enjoy its fragrance (which I had repre- 

 sented to her as most delicious, though somewhat powerful) 

 without her being able to perceive the least scent. As I 

 knew the flowers gave out their fragrance much more plen- 

 tifully in the sunshine, I one day placed a hand-glass over a 

 cluster of the plants then in full bloom (the sun at the same 

 time shining full upon them), and in the course of an hour 

 the glass was fully charged with odour; upon lifting it off, 

 they were still declared scentless, when, to myself and two 

 other persons present, the fragrance was so great as to.be fit 

 (to use a homely phrase) " to knock one down." Allow me 

 just to add, that the person above alluded to was particularly 

 fond of the odour arising from the bruised seed-vessels of the 

 ElsholtzzVz cristata, a scent remarkably peculiar, and approved 

 of by few. I speak of a plant widely dissimilar in appear- 

 ance, and in no way related to the popular beauty Esch- 

 scholtz/a californica. — H. Tinner. Botanic Garden. Bury, 

 Feb. 22. 183% t ,7/ « 



Obliquities in the Action of the Powers of Sense in some Per- 

 sons. — Sir, Having noticed, on a former occasion (Vol. V. 

 p. 758.), some peculiarities in the scent of /Vis persica 

 and Jnemone nemorosa, flowers which, it seems, prove scent- 

 less to the organs of some persons, while to those of others 

 they are highly fragrant, I may be allowed to mention an 

 instance of similar idiosyncrasy relating to other senses. 

 The following has been communicated to me by a friend, 

 who, being in company when the scent of /Vis persica was 

 made the subject of conversation, informs me that a gentleman 



