Miscellaneous. 77 



vantages. I have been working chiefly at Coleoptera, Diptera and 

 Heraiptera, and find them more abundant than the other orders. At 

 present (25th Nov. 1847) my numbers stand thus: Coleoptera, 87 

 species; Diptera, 43 species ; Hemiptera, 39 species; Hymenoptera, 

 25 species; Lepidoptera, 20 species; miscellaneous, 16 species." 



This is certainly far above any published list of the insects of Ma- 

 deira, and we have no doubt that our talented correspondent, Mr. 

 Wollaston, of Jesus College, Cambridge, when less of an invalid, 

 will add much to it. As it is, it will doubtless prove interesting to 

 the entomologists who read this Journal.— A. W. 



CUHIOUS PHENOMENA IN THE NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS, &C 



Highgate, 11th Dec. 1847. 



My dear Sir, — Two days ago a remarkable circumstance occurred 

 in my greenhouse, which it may be interesting to you to communi- 

 cate. The Night-blooming Cereus, of which I gave you a cutting, has 

 long had a bud. Being a fine strong plant, it has been able to ma- 

 ture it even at this unusual season. It arrived at maturity on Thurs- 

 day. The days however not being of the length usual at its ordi- 

 nary season, it seems to have been somewhat puzzled how to bloom. 

 When I entered my greenhouse at 8 a.m. I found all the petals on 

 one sideexpanded [left side] . I thought this remarkable, but conceived 

 that, in this dull weather, a longer effort at opening was necessary 

 than usual. I watched it all day, but was surprised to find no ad- 

 vance. At 8 p.m. I went into my greenhouse for the express pur- 

 pose of examining the bloom, when, to my great surprise, I found 

 that all the petals which had opened in the morning were closed up, 

 while all the petals of the opposite [right] side were then fully ex- 

 panded ! The left petals remained closed. The bud was a full-sized 

 and healthy one. [The seed promises to mature. 27th December.] 



It is obvious, I take it then, that the law which regulates the 

 opening of these flowers, and which normally causes them to bloom at 

 night only, and /'or [say] twelve hours only, affects the individual petals 

 and not the totality of the bloom. Hence if, from any accident, as 

 here, any number of petals mistake a dull day for the night, and 

 open, their doom is sealed : they have begun their twelve hours' " 

 race, and can see it — and no more ; and their more knowing com- 

 panions, who keep closed till true night, must flourish alone in their 

 glory, — but will do it, independent of the prior blooming and present 

 decay of their companions. 



I have often noticed that if the Echinocactus Eyriesii (a remark- 

 ably rapid bloomer) advances to the point of opening near morning, 

 it remains in that exact state all the day, checked by the light, and 

 does not begin to burst till the sun is going down. 



While on vegetable life I have another curious matter to notice. 

 In the ' Annals,' vol. xix. p. 470, is an article on " Monstrous 

 Roses." A far more remarkable circumstance than any noticed there, 

 or than I ever saw noticed, occurred in my own garden in the same 

 year as the monsters there recorded, and in a plant of the same na- 



