Proceedings of the Essex Institution, Salem. 59 



" New England's Varieties Discoverd, in Birds, Fishes, Serpents 

 and Plants of that country. Together with the Physical and 

 Chirurgical Remedies, wherewith the Natives constantly use to 

 cure their Distempers, Wounds and Sores, &c. <fcc. By John 

 Josselyn, Gent. Second Addition, London, 1675." 



The Reviewer's object is, chiefly to identify the plants contained 

 in the list, observed by Josselyn. These are classified (1) into 

 such plants as are common to the two countries, England and 

 America. (2) Such as are peculiar to America, and which had a 

 name. (3) Such as belong to the country, but had no name. 

 With few exceptions the plants described are identified with much 

 interesting criticism and some valuable historical notes. As a 

 specimen of this paper we quote from page 104 : — "Hollow-Leaved 

 Lavender, (Sarracenia purpurea). The description of this fine 

 plant, " proper to the country," and really worthy of being one 

 of "New England's Varieties Discovered," is so unique that I 

 shall transcribe it at length. — There is also a very good figure by 

 which the plant in question was easily recognised, " Hollow T -Leaved 

 Lavender is a plant that grows in (Salt) Marshes, overgrown with 

 moss,with one straight stalk about the bigness of an oat-straw,better 

 than a cubit high ; upon the top standeth one fantastical flower ; 

 the leaves grow close from the root in shape like a tankard, hollow, 

 tough, and always full of water, the root is made up of many small 

 strings, growing only in the moss and not in the earth ; the whole 

 plant comes to its perfection in August, and then it has leaves 

 stalks and flowers, as red as blood excepting the flower, which 

 has some yellow admixt. I wonder where the knowledge of this 

 flower has slept all this while i. e. above forty yeais T' 



" This the purple Side Saddle flower is one of the finest and 

 most ornamental of our native plants, and well known for its singu- 

 lar beauty." " Parkinson's Theatre of Plants," was published in 

 1640, while John Josselyn Gent's Treatise w r as published in 1675, 

 (the former contains a good figure and description of this plant,) 

 so that our author seems to have " slept all this while in ignorance 

 of the lTollow-Leaved Lavender, rather than as he supposes others 

 about him had done. The term Lavender is probably expressive 

 of the form of the leaf: lavo lavendum, to wash, etc. Quere — 

 hence the derivation of pitcher plant, or forefather's pitcher, or 

 Tankard and the like ?" 



We would only further refer to a report by a committee of the 

 Institute on the question of " Lightning conducting rods." This 



