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BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 



of ''a gigantic Cereus triangularis in fantastical shapes and shade" 

 which " surrounded on every side" the house where he was sleeping; 

 its "innumerable magnificent flowers of pure spotless white bedewed 

 with watery pearls twinkled under the moon's gaze as so many 

 bright diamonds." Mr. William Watson, of Kew, contributes "a 

 note of welcome." 



The Committee of the Ceylon Planters' Association have resolved 

 to perpetuate the memory of the late Director of the Eoyal Botanic 

 Gardens at Peradeniya (Dr. Trimen) by the erection of a cenotaph 

 at the Gardens in recognition of his valued services to the planting 

 community, as well as to the colony generally, in his special depart- 

 ments of botanical and scientific research. This will probably take 

 the form of a tablet in a building erected as a memorial to Thwaites, 

 and containing a memorial tablet to him. 



Sir George King retired on Feb. 28th from the posts of Super- 

 intendent of the Pioyal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, and of Director 

 of Cinchona Cultivation in Bengal. There is no need for us to 

 remind our readers of the excellent work which Sir George has 

 done in both these capacities ; and it is a satisfaction to know that 

 he has been succeeded by Dr. Prain, who has for many years 

 assisted Sir George in his work, and of whose thorough competence 

 for the posts there can be no question. 



Dr. Otto Staff has been elected an Associate of the Linnean 

 Society. We are quite sure that he is well worthy of the honour 

 conferred, but we are surprised that the Council should be unable 

 to find any British subject, either at home or abroad, who has 

 sufficient claims to this distinction. 



We have received a list of the Flowering Plants of the Bromley 

 District, which the Eev. J. J. Scargill has edited for the Bromley 

 Naturalists' Society. It seems very carefully done, and contains 

 696 species, all of which, with the exception of about twenty-five, 

 have been observed within five miles of Bromley townhall. There 

 are, of course, a considerable number of introductions — it is curious 

 to note among them three balsams [ImjKttiens Noli-tangere, I. biflora, 

 and I. Pioijlei), all of which are entered as having been found by the 

 Eavensbourne on the Cator estate. The absence of authorities for 

 the Latin names gives the list a somewhat slipshod look, and is not 

 compensated for by the addition of an "English name" to every 

 species, even when introduced. Some of these would, we think, 

 puzzle the most strenuous advocate of vernacular names to identify 

 — e.g. the "Lance-leaved Turnip": this is assigned to Bmiias 

 orientalis, which is stated to be well estabhshed in the neighbour- 

 hood of Bromley. 



Mr. G. C. Druce asks any member of the Botanical Exchange 

 Club who may have recently received in his parcel a sheet con- 

 taining more than one specimen of Potamogeton fluitans to forward 

 the others to Mr. A. Fryer, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, as they were 

 meant for him. 



