208 BOTANICAT. NOTES. 



events we could scarcely have taken the advice of an advertiser in the 

 ''Inverness Courier," of a recent date, and proscribed for him a doze of 

 ITux vomica. This enlightened writer, who, bj-the-bye, must either be 

 some designing quack, anxious to "get off" a box or two of his favourite 

 nostrum, or some deluded agriculturalist, gives the world at large the fol- 

 lowing sage advice: — ''Dissolve one pound of Nux vomica in warm water, 

 enough to steep one bushel of light barley, and then scatter it near the 

 dung-heaps in the fields. Pick up the Rooks when sick from the poison, 

 as they may frighten off others from eating it, and put them in a heap, 

 where they will make excellent manure (bones and feathers)." This whole- 

 sale method of going to work will surely stand comparison with any hitherto 

 recorded exploit of those redoubtable institutions, "Sparrow-destroying So- 

 cieties." Such is another deplorable instance of the short-sightedness of us 

 mortals, in discriminating between our true and false friends. 



Before concluding these remarks, which have been but too hastily thrown 

 together, we wish to say a few words on a plan, which, if not hitherto 

 extensively carried out in practice by the readers of "The Naturalist," we 

 conceive no reason why it should not be. We refer to the exchange 

 of botanical and other specimens, through the medium of this paper, be- 

 tween such parties as may be desirous of furthering the completion of their 

 collections by this method. We have a corner monthly devoted to the 

 "Querist," and another to the "Retrospect," which are all very good in 

 their way, and have admirably fulfilled the purposes for which they were 

 set on foot. But why have we no Exchange?* Much space would not be 

 required, merely enough to record the names and addresses of parties, 

 wishing to participate in the pleasures and profits calculated to arise from 

 this plan, with perhaps an occasional note of such desiderata as are more 

 particularly desired by, and of duplicates at the disposal of, such parties. 

 We believe that this plan, which is no other than the introduction (if you 

 will) of parties at a distance, so situated as to be mutually serviceable to 

 each other in the collection of objects of Natural History, has been found 

 far more effective in compassing the desired ends, than the often clumsy 

 machinery set on foot by large Societies, and otherwise, for the purpose 

 specified. Besides were the scheme once properly organized, an amount of 

 information regarding the distribution, etc., of species might be gleaned, 

 which would considerably enrich the pages of "The Naturalist" from time 

 to time. It is under this impression, gentle reader, that we have ventured 

 to bring this matter before you for consideration, and that at a time when 

 any new feature in this periodical might be very gracefully introduced. 



Aberdeen, January 19th., 1856. 



* This is a very good suggestion, and falls in Avith a similar plan which I had myself 

 thought of. It shall be adopted.— F. 0. Moaiiis. 



