1841.] THE NATIONAL INSTITUTION. 125 



The Department of Natural History reported upon a communica- 

 tion from Mr. Norman, tliat inasmuch as the tree (bois d'arc, or Os- 

 sage apple) referred to in it has been lately sufficiently described by 

 Mr. Nuttall, and others, it deems it unnecessary to institute further 

 inquiry into its history, &c. 



The Corresponding Secretary reported the following Letters and 

 Communications : — 



From Mr. Vail, Charge d'Affaires, Madrid : 



Madrid, August 12, 1841. 



My Dear Sir : Confined as I am by my public duties to the city of Madrid, a 

 point not very fertile in objects interesting to the arts and sciences, and, withal, 

 sufficiently occupied by subjects of moi'e immediate concern, I have but little 

 leisure to listen to my desire of contributing my mite to the laboi's of the National 

 Institution. Seeing, however, that agriculture is one of tlie branches of industry 

 which the Institution is enduavoruig to promote, I cannot resist the temptation of 

 presenting to it a few ears, herewith transmitted for that purpose, of a curious look- 

 ing kind of wheat, which I picked up in a late excursion into Andalusia, and which 

 I have nowhere else seen or ever heard of. You must not take its dark bluish color 

 for the eft'ect of accident. I saw many very extensive fields of that color, which, 

 with the unusually long and heavy beard, gave to the abundant crops the appear, 

 ance of beautiful blue fur. I am not able to assure you that the grain itself pos- 

 sesses any marked advantage over other kinds ; indeed, I was told that richer and 

 better is raised in this country. But you will perceive that the kernel is large, 

 though it might not have acquired its full development when I gathered it stand- 

 ing in the first days of June. I was induced to take a specimen of it more on ac- 

 count of the place where it grew than from any other cause. That place was no 

 other than the vast arena of the magnificent Roman amphitheatre of the ancient 

 and sumptuous city of Italica, the birth-place of the Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, 

 and Theodosius, and of the Roman poet, Silius Italicus. Founded by Scipio Afri- 

 canus, Italica became the capital of the rich and fertile Province of Boetica, now 

 Andalusia, and, judging from what is left of it, must have been, ijideed, a fit place 

 to cradle such mighty spirits. It stood on the right bank of the Guadalquiver, one 

 league above the present site of the city of Seville, with which it is connected by 

 a fine Roman road, still used, and in good preservation. The lazy, indolent Anda. 

 lusian, is content to sow and reap his corn on the now level and deserted soil, and 

 allows a few feet of earth to hide numberless remains of magnificent works of art. 

 The eighty thousand marble colunms which sustain the private dwellings, even the 

 humbl(38t in Seville, were dug outof tho ruins of Italica ; and numberless fragments 

 of statuary, of the most exquisite workmanship, may be seen in the possession of 

 private individuals, and in some public establisliinents, while others are left to moul- 

 der on the surface of the oartli, and beautiful mosaic pavements sufiorcd to be washed 

 away with the conmion soil. It is strange that nothing certain is known of the fate 

 of Italica, and we might be utterly ignorant of tho cause of the destruction of that 

 splendid city, did not tho fragments of statuary, and other productions of ail, found 



