Botanical Cabinet. 309 



with which it is conducted, are more worthy of admiration. With regard to 

 the latter point, we will venture to say, that much as we have travelled and 

 seen, we have met with no stoves, belonging to prince, king, or emperor, 

 which can compare with those of Messrs. Loddiges, at Hackney, for the 

 magnificence, convenience, and elegance of their plan, and the value of their 

 contents." On asking one of the Messrs. Loddiges what might be the 

 value of the plants in the whole collection, supposing that every one in 

 the catalogue were sold according to its price as there marked ; about 

 200,000/. was the reply. 



Of Ireland he says, he was informed by very many Englishmen that " it 

 is safer to travel among savages than in the west coast of Ireland, which is 

 the reason why the botany of that country is as little known as that of Sar- 

 dinia." 



The next paper contains a notice of the Wurtemberg Botanical Society 

 for collecting specimens, which we have before referred to, both in this 

 Magazine, and in the Magazine of Natural History (p. 81.). 



Localities of some rare plants, found hy W. Wilson, Esq. of Warrington, 

 chiefly among the Breadalbiine Mountains of Scotland, in the summer of 

 1827, occupy seven or eight pages. Some account of the substance com- 

 monly known under the name of Rice Paper, succeeds. This appears to be 

 ^schynomene paludosa i?o.r., Papiiionaceas ; a perennial, of straggling low 

 growth, abundant in the marshy plains of Bengal. The stems, which sel- 

 dom exceed an inch in diameter, are brought to the markets of Calcutta in 

 a green state in great quantities ; the thickest are cut into laminse, not by 

 transverse sections, but by cutting vertically round the stem. The bark of 

 the stem is so thin, that it may be scratched oft" with the thumb nail, so 

 that the whole of the lamince are formed of pith. From these laminje, each 

 of which may be 8 or 9 in. long, and 6 or 7 in. broad, the natives form arti- 

 ficial flowers, and various fancy ornaments to decorate their shrines at 

 Hindoo festivals. The Indians make hats of rice paper, by cementing toge- 

 ther as many laminae as will produce the requisite thickness : in this way 

 any kind of shape may be formed; and, when covered with silk or cloth, 

 the hats are strong and inconceivably light. It is an article of great use to 

 fishermen ; it forms floats of the best description to their extensive nets. 

 The slender stems of the plant are bundled into fascines about 5ft. long; 

 and with one of these under his arm does every fisherman go out to his 

 daily occujiation. With his net on his shoulders, he proceeds to work 

 without a boat, and stretches it in the deepest and most extensive lakes, 

 supported with this buoyant faggot. 



A Plora of the British possessions in North America is announced by Dr. 

 Hooker; and Sketch of a Journey to the Rocky Mountains, and to the 

 Colombia River in North America, by Thomas Drummond, Assistant Na- 

 turalist to the second Land Arctic Expedition, is commenced in the last two 

 pages (95 and 96), and is to be continued in next part. 



The plates are beautifully executed, and, considering this and their num- 

 ber, the work is certainly not dear : we wish we could express confidence 

 in its success ; but that, to such an extent as to paj', we can hardly think 

 any of the parties concerned can expect. The present is neither the country 

 nor the time for such a result. 



Botanical Cabinet. By Messrs. Loddiges. In 4to and Svo Parts, monthly, 

 Large paper, 5s. ; small paper, and partially coloured, 2s. 6d. 



Ko. CXLIII. for March, contains 

 1421 to 1429. — rrifolium fimbriatum. From North America, by Mr. 

 Douglas. Pretty, 6 in. high, and easily cultivated. — ivsimachia longi- 



X 3 



