robust stature and less attenuated leaves. The natural seed- 

 lings of I. Amancaes make very slow progress. There is 

 one twelve years old at SpofForth, which is not yet of flower- 

 ing size ; but those of I. Calathina advance rapidly. The 

 flowers of the mule have a tube slenderer than that of 

 Amancaes, and the cup terminating in twelve distinct lobes 

 which are jagged at the margin : from the points where the 

 filaments are inserted, six strong green lines, margined with 

 yellow, mark the inside of the cup. Ismene Calathina 

 thrives vigorously out of doors in a border of sand and peat 

 mixed, and flowers in July and August, if the bulbs are 

 planted out in April, and taken up when the leaves decay 

 in November or October. The soil being loose and light, 

 it is easy to avoid breaking their strong fleshy fibres, which 

 should not be injured. The bulbs so taken up should be 

 put all together in a large pot, or a small tub according to 

 their number and size ; and, some light soil being poured 

 over them, they should be placed at the back of a green- 

 house, or in any shed where they will be preserved from 

 frost, and must have no water. I. Amancaes requires a 

 much more sandy soil, and less moisture : if planted out of 

 doors, a large pot full of soil should be taken out of the 

 border where it is set, and the hole filled with pure white 

 sand, and unless the summer is very wet it will succeed 

 well. If kept in the greenhouse, it should be potted in very 

 sandy compost, and be watered sparingly ; and should be 

 left quite dry from the time the leaves decay till May. Peat 

 and too much water have caused many cultivators to lose 

 this plant, which is not difficult to preserve. The Horti- 

 cultural Society have imported an Ismene, which, unless it 

 ' be a new species, is at least a variety of Amancaes with 

 very difl'erent habits, spawning abundantly, and the leaves 

 not sheathing high, of a hardier constitution, and less averse 

 to moisture. Its flower has not yet been seen. W. H. 



