Botanical Collections. 128 



microscopical analyses, the beauty of his drawings, and the admirable skill 

 with which he follows nature in her most secret workings, and, let me add, 

 which is a still rarer quality, the generous disinterestedness with which he 

 communicates to his friends the result of his patient and silent labours. I 

 have sketches before me by Mr Bauer, executed from 1794 to 18Q7, in which 

 not only all that has been published since that period is shewn in the most 

 distinct and satisfactory manner, but in which much more is represented than 

 botanists are even now aware of." Lindley, Iidrod. to Nat. Orders, p. 262. 

 Now, all know that Brown and Mr Btufer were intimately acquainted ; and 

 the inference to be derived from the above is, that Brown was indebted foF 

 his discoveries to Bauer without acknowledgment. Fortunately, however. 

 Brown's fair fame stands too high to be injured by such insinuations ; but, 

 at the same time, it is to be hoped that he will not let a passage of the kind 

 be recorded against him to future ages without communicating to the public 

 the full and suiRcient antidote, which we, in common with many others, know 

 that he can give. 



New Plant added to the British Fhra. — In our former notice of the Cryp- 

 togamic plants, collected during an excursion to the mountains of Braemar, 

 in August 1829, by Dr Graham and a party of his friends and pupils, we 

 omitted to record the discovery of a very beautiful moss — the Weissia 

 elongata of Hornschuck. This was found among the rocks at the head of 

 Loch Callader by Dr Greyille. 



Mudarine, a new vegetable jirinciple The root of the Mudar or Mudhar 



plant, the Calotropis Mudorii, Hamilton, belonging to the AsclepiadecBf is well 

 known in the East as a ])owerful medicine. Recent investigations into the 

 nature of the root have led Dr Duncan, professor of Materia Medica in this 

 University, to the discovery of a peculiar principle, which he has named 

 Mudarine, and a full account of which will be published in the next volume 

 of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 



The most remarkable peculiarity of Mudarine is, that its solubility in 

 water diminishes as the temperature increases. A concentrated solution, 

 which is perfectly transparent and fluid at 50°, has its transparency diminished, 

 and gelatinizes at a little above 70°. On being allowed to cool, the jelly 

 melts, (if the expression may be used,) and regains its former fluidit3^ If 

 the temperature be raised considerably above 70°, the jelly contracts and 

 separates from a liquid. It has now lost its power of resuming its liquid 

 state on reduction of temperature. 



This new principle is obtained by macerating the powder of the Mudar- 

 root in cold rectified spirit, and drawing off the alcohol by distillation. On 

 cooling, a white granular resin separates from the residuary liquor, which is 

 now a nearly pure solution of Mudarine. 



Botany of South Africa (Extracted from the Annual Report of the South 



African Institution, 1830.) — In the botanical department, our exertions 

 have had peculiarly a reference to practical results, and herein are we 

 likely to derive benefit immediately and directly from the communications 

 made by one of our membez-s, in regard to the culture of exotics. We 

 have also, under his direction, to a certain extent, rendered local botany a 

 subject of useful and practical attention, by furnishing an outline of a local 

 flora, which may afterwards be filled up in its details. From circumstances 

 affecting the vote for medals, it has appeared to the council that they 

 would best fulfil your design by expressing their approbation, in this way, 

 of the useful course of notices commenced by JNlr Bowie, and they have 

 \yith this view voted to him one of the two medals given by the institu- 

 tion. But it is an important question, whether the association ought 

 not to contemplate wider eflTorts in regard to this branch of its pur- 

 suits. If we should not be able to advance our establishments beyond 



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