S'fS THE USES OF PLANTS. 



" Water-Melons {Citrullus vulgaris Schm.). — Oval, dark green, 

 Cucurbitaceous fruits, with white flesh, are imported from the 

 Mediterranean ; whilst a considerable variety of Melons {Cucumis 

 Mela L.) are cultivated under glass in this country." 



Under "Oils and Oil-seeds," lists are given of the "chief" or 

 "more important" drying and non-drying oils, and vegetable fats 

 and waxes. Many of those mentioned, however, the author would 

 have some difficulty in obtaining, as they are but very little known. 

 Under " Dyes and Tanning Materials " (p. 162), Mr. Boulger states 

 that the Madder [Fcuhia iinctorum L.) is a British plant. 



The foot-note references on the several pages to works whence 

 the author has obtained his information, together with the index, 

 are useful. 



In Mr. Maiden's * Useful Plants of Australia' we have a book of 

 a different stamp. The arrangement is similar to that of Mr. 

 Boulger's, human foods and food-adjuncts coming first, then forage 

 plants, drugs, gums, resins, and kinos ; oils, volatile or essential, 

 and expressed or fixed ; perfumes, dyes, tans, timbers, fibres, and 

 miscellaneous products. The plants referred to are arranged in 

 alphabetical order under each of the above heads, the scientific 

 names, which are printed m clarendon type, coming first, followed 

 by the best-known synonyms ; then the natural order, and references 

 to the * Flora Australiensis,' the common names and details of the 

 uses of the plant, and its range of growth. In this way a mass of 

 information is brought together in a very systematic manner, from 

 which any given plant can readily be found. That the author has 

 made himself acquainted with what has been already written on 

 many of the plants referred to by him, and that he has judiciously 

 selected those matters that are of value only, are proved by the 

 many interesting facts recorded throughout the book. 



The following illustration of the mode of treatment of each 

 plant will suffice to prove the value of the book. In the division 

 devoted to drugs, under the head of " Substances reputed medicinal," 

 the uses of ExccBcaria Agallocha are thus described : — " It produces, 

 by incision in the bark, an acid milky juice, which is so volatile that 

 no one, however careful, can gather a quarter of a pint without 

 being affected by it. The symptoms are an acid, burning sensation 

 in the throat, sore eyes, and headache. A single drop falling mto 

 the eyes will, it is believed, produce loss of sight. The natives of 

 Eastern Australia, as well as those of New Guinea, &c., use this 

 poisonous juice to cure certain ulcerous chronic diseases, e. </., 

 leprosy, but in Fiji the patient is fumigated with the smoke of the 

 burning wood [vide Seemann, • Flora Vitiensis'). In India the sap 

 of the tree is called • tiger's milk,' and is said to be applied with 

 good effect to inveterate ulcers. The leaves also are used in 

 decoction for this purpose. A good caoutchouc may be prepared 

 from the milk." The plant is found from New South Wales to 

 Northern Australia, and is known under the following common 

 names : River Poisonous Tree, Milky Mangrove, or Blind-y our- eyes. 



Mr. Maiden has made his book still more useful by the addition 

 of excellent indices of vernacular and scientific names. It is not 



