30 



I noticed Lastraea recurva almost throughout the county of Corn- 

 wall, but particularly abundant about Penzance. I did not see a 

 plant of it in Devonshire. 



Thomas Westcombe. 



Worcester, 1st mo. 6th, 1848. 



Revivifying Property of the Leicestershire Udora. 

 By Miss M. Kirby. 



The other day I was wishing to make an alteration in the arrange- 

 ment of a specimen of the Leicestershire Udora or Anacharis that 

 had some months since, pasted upon paper, taken its place in my 

 herbarium. On damping the paper for the purpose of disengaging 

 the specimen, my attention was attracted by the avidity with which 

 the plant absorbed the moisture. Upon this I plunged the specimen 

 into water, and had much pleasure in seeing it (with the elasticity of 

 a moss) speedily restored to its original beauty and freshness. Should 

 the Udora of India possess this power of revivification, it may, in the 

 art of sugar-refining, be made serviceable more than once. It is in 

 the last stage of sugar-refining that the Udora is used ; it is laid upon 

 the loaves, and the water slowly running through, washes the sugar 

 from all remains and tinge of the treacle. This process is repeated 

 four or Jive times, according to the nature of the sugar, &c. The 

 plant is of no other use than to retain the water, and prevent its run- 

 ning too rapidly through the mass, by which too much of the sugar 

 would be dissolved. 



Pipe-clay carefully mixed up with water, or a sponge dipped in 

 water, acts in the same manner. See Prof. Brande's 'Manual of 

 Chemistry,' &c, &c. 



I leave it to your judgment to decide whether the above is too tri- 

 vial a circumstance for the Phytologist's notice. I am ignorant whe- 

 ther the fact is already known, and whether the plant is consequently 

 used more than once, therefore mine is a suggestion only. 



Mary Kirby. 



Friar Lane, Leicester, 

 January 10th, 1848. 



