E id 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 89 
Explosion of Pods with an audible Report. 
Sydney, N. S. Wales, December 18, 1865. 
Some time since, I received some pods of a leguminous plant, found in 
abundance about the Mackenzie River, Rockhampton, Queensland, known by 
the popular name of the * Mackenzie or Rockhampton Bean," and which has 
been found as good a vegetable as the “ uisi It is found growing 
abundantly on the sandy banks of the creeks, as well as in the scrubs on the 
summit of the Granite ranges. I placed the ripe pods on the chimney-piece, 
and one evening, just after a fire had been lighted, I was startled by a loud 
noise, exactly as if one of the glass shades had been suddenly cracked ; on exa- 
mination I found the noise was occasioned by the explosion of the pods, and 
seeds being scattered with great force over the room. No doubt the warmth 
of the fire condensed the air contained in the pods, and caused the explosion. 
Yours, etc., 
Gzonazr Beynett, M.D. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
The Every-day Book of Natural History, comprising a Note for every 
day on the Flowers, Insects, Birds, Animals, etc., most commonly ob- 
served on rambles into the country throughout the year. By James 
Cundall. With illustrations. London: F. Warne and Co. 1866. 
This is a reprint of short notes on natural history subjects which 
first appeared in the * Western Daily Press,' and have undergone some 
revision. The idea of supplying a popular botanical or zoological 
article for every day of the year is a happy one, and we regret that 
J. C., as the author calls himself on the title page, and James Cundall 
as he signs himself at the end of the preface, did not turn it to better 
aecount than furnish slight and short compilations, in which he gene- 
rally manages to miss the very points which a popular writer should 
have endeavoured to bring out. lle opens his book with the Daisy. 
Now, an explanation of its name (** Day's-eye ") would have furnished 
a capital peg for hanging some interesting faets upon about the closing 
in of the ray-florets when the sky is becoming overcast or evening 
approaches. He might have launched out into the motion of plants, 
or pointed out the singular difference between our Daisy and the Aus- 
tralian, the ray-florets of which, like those of many other Composite 
of the southern hemisphere, turn backwards when not under the 
full influence of the sun. In a popular book au interesting story 
might have been told in connection with — sold in our Lon- 
