368 



Linaceae, Only two points of difference occur between Mr. Babing- 

 ton's description and St. Hilaire's : Mr. B. says the petals are imbri- 

 cated, while St. Hilaire describes the entire genus with contorted 

 petals ; St. Hilaire says that the petals are " in unguem attenuata ;" 

 Mr. B. says that they are " baud unguiculata." Notwithstanding 

 these discrepancies, there can be no rational doubt of the identity of 

 the two plants, and this induces a belief that there must be some eiTor 

 in the supposition that Mr. B.'s plant was raised from seeds gathered 

 in the interior of New Holland, as it is only known in herbaria as a 

 native of the southern parts of Brazil, Monte Video, Chili and perhaps 

 Peru, and does not, T believe, occur in any collection from Australia. 



G. A. Walker Arnott. 

 Ailaiy, 6th October, 1845. 



An Account of the Bog Lands of Sussex. By F. A. Malleson, Esq. 



On examining a geological chart of the county of Sussex, it will be 

 seen that there is an outlying stratum of sandstone, known as Shank- 

 lin sand, running parallel with the South Downs in their whole extent, 

 at the distance of a mile or two ; and with an average breadth of two 

 or four with us, though much more at the continuation of the same 

 formation in Surrey. This is so distinct a feature of the country that 

 it cannot fail to attract the notice of every traveller of common obser- 

 vation, who approaches the hills from that central tract of the great 

 chalk basin, denominated the Weald, or Wild, and who perceives that 

 he must necessarily cross a sandy or a boggy district. In most places 

 this sand is the soil of heaths, both hilly and level ; in others that of 

 bog, marsh or quagmire, and in the alluvial districts of good pasture 

 land. 



The formation and progress of a bog is a subject of considerable 

 interest, especially when it is remembered that it is always naturally 

 in a state of increase. In the uncultured territories of the vast conti- 

 nent of America, a marsh is frequently originated by the accidental 

 fall of a few trees into some stream that had hitherto flowed uninter- 

 rupted through the forest. The waters, thus obstructed, overflow and 

 stagnate beyond the banks, rotting and decomposing much vegetable 

 matter incapable of enduring such an excess of moisture. However 

 indispensable the influence of pure, running water may be to some 



