126 BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. [ApHl, 



to the Exhibition ; they have, no doubt, enough ah'eady on their hands 

 in endeavouring to coerce the slaveholding section into the Union ; but 

 the spirit in which they have met the offer of the Commissioners to grant 

 them space for exhibition in the " World's Fair " is by no means creditable 

 to thera. "At the last Exhibition," said one of the principal speakers, " we 

 sent reaping machines ; the sword is now our reaper, and the rebels are 

 our harvest." Such a sword as is wielded by the North would certainly 

 not be remarkable on account of its effectiveness, and, as to the rebels, 

 they have first to catch them before they can send thera for exhibition. 

 It is a curious fact tliat the Southern States, denounced as rebels, have 

 applied for space, and would send some contributions to London, but their 

 claim has been refused, on the technical ground that they have not applied 

 for space through commissioners appointed by any recognized Govern- 

 ment — certainly a somewhat harsh proceeding, and not quite in keeping 

 with that principle of impartial neutrality which has been decided upon 

 by the Government. We have granted to the South belligerent rights; 

 the Commissioners might surely have accorded exhibiting rights to the 

 Confederacy, even though they are fighting for independence and State 

 rights. As the North will not come to our Exhibition, and as the South 

 must not be admitted, we shall probably examine with all the more interest 

 the humble contributions of those whom both united to keep in bondage. 



Vegetable Products from St. Helena, Newfoundland, etc. — 

 Closely following on the goods of Liberia has been a consignment from 

 St. Helena, Prince Edward's Island, and Newfoundland. From Prince 

 Edward's Island there will be a giant spar, the height of which will over- 

 top the Monument of the Fire of London — a singletree — the largest per- 

 haps that has ever been cut in the magnificent forests of that province. 

 Unless it is placed under one of the domes, there is no part of the building 

 where this lordly representative of the Pine-forests can be exhibited, and 

 it will, in all probability, be used as a flag-staft" outside the Exhibition, or 

 perhaps in the grounds of the Horticultural Society. 



Woods from Tasmania. — There will also be, in another part of the 

 building, a trophy from Tasmania, consisting of a column nearly one 

 hundred feet liigh, made of native woods, capped with the flag of the 

 colony, and surrounded at the base with ornaments of woods, worked up 

 into models of whale-boats and whaling-apparatus. The column will have 

 a winding staircase within it, and will, no doubt, attract considerable 

 attention, 



Atropa Belladonna. {Deadly NiglUshnde.) 



There is growing in my garden a magnificent plant of this species, in 

 height seven feet, and in circumference ten feet ; the branches are fifteen 

 ill number, and about the size of a stout walking-stick. It blossomed in 

 August, and was covered with berries until this month. It is now on the 

 decline ; but I observe that most of the leaves have been eaten by some 

 particular kind of caterpillar,* and the berries I have noticed the thrush 

 eating. These facts may be worth recording in the ' Phytologist,' and to 

 show that, although this plant is so deadly poisonous to man, it affords 

 food to birds and insects. S. Beisly. 



Sydenham, October, 1861. 



* The name of tlie caterpillar I should like to know. 



