Dr Graham's List of' Rare Plants. 



373 



dency may possibly have been given by its top having been injured se- 

 veral months ago. The universality of the buds in the axils of the 

 leaves, however, makes me believe in the branching being natural. 

 Near the extremity of each of the three shoots, a raceme is produced. 

 Our plant farther differs from Loureiro's description, in the lid never 

 closing after it once opens ; but the power of alternate opening and 

 closing, even in his plant, was probably imaginary, as his statement of 

 the pitchers receiving the night dews certainly is. The fluid which 

 they contain is undoubtedly a secretion, but for what purpose does not 

 appear. It is stated to have nearly filled one-third of the pitcher in 

 Messrs Loddiges plant ; but with us it never much exceeded a drachm, 

 even in the largest pitchers, whose capacity was three ounces five 

 drachms. The outline figure in Bot. Mag. t. 2629. is very good ; but 

 the detached pitcher is much too contracted in its upper half, and the lid 

 is not nearly so flat as it always is after it has been fully opened. The 

 site of the two large nerves is occupied by prominent wings, and the base 

 is bent exactly in the opposite direction from that which it takes in the 

 outline figure, and in the specimen which I have described. We have 

 two plants which scarcely yet exceed the size of seedlings, in which these 

 wings, strongly ciliated, are present ; and, as in the detached pitcher, 

 t. 2629. their pitchers are so bent at the base that the cirrhus passes be- 

 tween the wings. It is probable, therefore, that these appearances are 

 peculiar to plants which have not yet advanced to maturity. The 

 youngest pitcher on the large plant has the same relative situation to 

 its cirrhus that the oldest has, and the same absence of wings. In Rum- 

 phius's figure, the position of the pitchers is always, as in the detached 

 pitcher of the Magazine. The imperfect figure given by Ammannus of 

 his Bandura Zingalensium in Miscell. Curios. Ann. prim, decur. 2. t. 13., 

 seems to approach nearly to the present species. 



The N. distillatoria of Linnaeus is quoted by Lamarck under N. indica^ and, 

 notwithstanding some difference in the description, I believe this (iV. in- 

 dica) to be our species, though reference is made from it to Plukenetius, 

 Ammannus, Burmann, and Rumphius, to the last indeed with doubt. 

 Where a change of name has become necessary, it is an evil which must 

 be endured, but as no necessity appears to exist here, I retain that by 

 which our plant was universally known, at least in this country. 



Our specimen has been constantly kept in the stove, and now produces a 

 very striking effect, by supporting itself on the adjoining plants, and 

 hanging from them its pitchers. It gives off suckers, but not freely, a 

 circumstance remarked in the female plant by Mr Loddiges. Mr Mac- 

 nab has succeeded in propagating two plants in this way. 



Celestial Phenomena from October 1. 1827 to January 1. 1828, 

 calculated for the Meridian of Eidinhurgh^ Mean Time. 

 By Mr George Innes, Aberdeen. 



The times are inserted according to the Civil reckoning, the day beginning at midnight, 

 — The Conjunctions of the Moon with the Stars are given in Right Ascension. 



