IIamamelis ViRoiNiCA lias been met with on the Ncslianiuiiy Creek, near Doylestown Pa. 

 t\vi>uty-live foet in Iiei^lit and with a trunk a few inches Inim three feet in circumforence. 

 It was j^rowin.:; in tlio l)ed of a creek, amuugst rooks and largo loose stones. Ilavo any 

 uf our botanists seen it of this siicc ? 



The Charter Oak. Grate. — Mr. J. D. IngersoU writes us that this grape has been 

 iiiVered in his vicinity and sucessfully sold at a high price by " humbuging pretenders as 

 adcliciuus muscat; say two to five dollars a root according to age and (jitalUy !" This 

 grape is utterly valueless, and the sale of it around the country among ill informed peo- 

 ple is rank imposture. Every man should set his face against it. 



The "Wonders of the Shore was the title of a most attractive article on Natural 

 History in a late North British Review. It has been reprinted and the authorship is 

 avowed by that accomplished scholar the Rev. Charles Kingsley. 



Grattan and Trees. — Some of Grattan's sayings are characteristic of the deep poetry 

 of his mind, so brilliantly described by Sydney Smith. He loved trees^ and used to say, 

 " Never cut down a tree for fashion sake. The tree has its roots in the earth, which 

 fashion has not." A favourite old tree stood near the house at Timebinch. A friend of 

 Grattan's thinking it obstructed the view, recommended him to cut it down. " Why so?" 

 said Grattan. " Because it stands in the way of the house." Grattan. "You mistake, 

 it is the house that stands in the way of it, and if either must come down, let it be the 

 house." 



"I thank God," wrote Sydney Smith to Lady Mary Bennet, "who has made me poor, that 

 he has made me merry. I think it is a better gift than much wheat and bean land with a 

 doleful heart." — Life of Sydney Smith. 



The Heat. — Nothing amuses me more than to observe the utter want of perception of a joke 

 iu some minds. Mrs. Jackson called the other day, and spoke of the oppressive heat of last 

 week. "Heat, ma'am," I said, "it was so dreadful here that I found there was nothing left 

 for it l>ut to take ojf my flesh and sit in my bones." "Take off your flesh and sit in your bones, 

 sir ! Oh, Mr. Smith ! how could you do that ?" she exclaimed with the utmost gravity. 

 "Nothing more easy, ma'am ; come and see next time." But she ordered her carriage, and 

 evidently thought it a very unorthodox proceeding. — Ibid. 



A Dog's Breakfast. — Miss , too, the other day, walking round the grounds, exclaim- 

 ed, "0, why do you chain up that Newfoundland dog, Mr. Smith ?" "Because he has a pas- 

 sion for breakfasting on parish hoys." "Parish boys!" she exclaimed, "does he really eat 

 boys, Mr. Smith ?" "Yes, he devours them buttons and all." Her face of horror made me 

 die of laughing. — Ibid. 



Virginia. — The Season. — Our correspondence this month extends over a large region 

 of country, and much of it is occupied by accounts of the effects of last summer's drought 

 and the extreme variations of the past winter's climate. From Loudon County, Va., 

 Yardley Taylor writes . 



"As the last year has been remarkable with us, some statement of the effects may not be 

 unacceptable ; and first the drought, it is believed, was never surpassed. The depth of rain 

 fallen for a year past certainly does not exceed two feet, more probably only twenty 

 ittle snow occurred during the winter, and but one rain for twelve months that wet 



