BOTANICAL NEWS. 81 



from East TroiDical Africa. It has an interest historically, ft-om 

 being probably the origin of very numerous cultivated varieties. 

 It was obtamed by Sir John Kirk, growing wild at Dar Salam. 

 Dr. Masters regards it as very nearly allied to G. barhadense, which is 

 the form most commonly cultivated in Tropical Africa ; though along 

 the Nile -valley 6r. herhaceum is that usually in cultivation. According 

 to authorities, cotton was not cultivated in Egyjpt in ancient times; 

 and the fact that the varieties now grown there are for the most part 

 forms of G. herhaceum, suggests the idea that India is the source 

 whence Eg}^t has derived the cotton — a notion confirmed by various 

 other considerations. — A paper was read for Prof. W. K. McNab, of 

 Dublin, viz., "Note on Abies Pattonii, Jeffrey MSS., 1851." The 

 author mentions that the plants known in cultivation under the 

 names of Abies Hookeriana and A. Pattonii have long been a source 

 of confusion and perplexity both to botanists and horticulturists. 

 He then follows the history how this has occurred, and shows that 

 the late Andrew Murray, in describing a new North-American pine, 

 mixed up in his description the leaf of A, Pattonii, Balf., from the 

 Mount Baker range of mountains, with the cone of A. Hookeriana, 

 from Scots Mountain, Oregon, and originally collected by Mr. John 

 Jeffrey. Dr. McNab proposes that, as Jeffrey's No. 430, from 

 the Cascade Mountains, named by Balfour Abies Pattonii in the 

 * Oregon Circular,' was unpublished, it should now be referred to 

 Tsuga Hookeriana, and the Mount Baker tree be regarded as T. 

 Pattoiiiana ; and he further suggests the desirability of a fresh 

 examination of the cones of the latter, as Jeffrey's account of them 

 is somewhat defective. 



Botanual Nttos. 



We note with pleasure that our friend and coiTespondent, Mr. 

 A. 0. More, has been appointed to the Curatorship of the Museum 

 of Natural History, Science and Art Department, Dublin, in suc- 

 cession to the late Dr. Carte. Mr. More has been connected with 

 the Museum for many years, and his well-deserved promotion 

 cannot fail to give general satisfaction. 



Otto "Wilhelm Sonder, of Hamburg, died on the 21st of last 

 November, at the age of seventy. Although following the occupa- 

 tion of a chemist, he devoted much of his time to botanical 

 research, His first paper (upon Cuscuta hassiaca) appeared in the 

 * Botanische Zeitung ' for 1844, and was speedily followed by 

 others. In 1846 he published his ' Eevision of Heliophila ;' and 

 in 1851 his ' Flora Hamburgensis,' which, although arranged on 

 the Linnean system, is a very useful work. His attention then 

 became directed to the Australian and Cape Floras, and after the 

 publication of several papers upon Australian plants, he under- 

 took, in conjunction with Dr. Harvey, the publication of the 



