212 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[September 1, 1897. 



models, and large discs of glass for objectives, etc. The 

 museum proved itself fairly attractive, though doubtless 

 the majority of visitors came in the hope of getting a 

 glimpse through the "giaut telescope," of which so much 

 had been expected, and which, owing to its lamentably 

 uafinished condition, caused such widespread disappoint- 

 ment. 



Notwithstanding the facilities Berlin thus offers for 

 encouraging a popular interest in astronomy, there are 

 comparatively few amateurs to be found, and but little 

 more than a spasmodic interest is taken in the science ; 

 while an organized body of observers such as the British 

 Astronomical Association can show does not — and, indeed, 

 scarcely could — exist amongst a people who, in matters of 

 study at least, carry specialization to the extent of 

 limitation. W. Alkked Park. 



Nettelbeckstrasse, 6, Berlin, W., 

 August 10th, 1897. 



A'EXUS. 



To the Editors of Knowledge. 



Sirs, — Some of your readers may be interested to know 

 that Venus is still clearly visible in daylight. 



She is now considerably north of the sun, which is, of 

 course, an advantage. 



I saw her on August 7th at 10.30 a.m., and as late as 

 12.25 P.M. ; again on the 10th very clearly, from 11.37 till 

 noon ; and again ou the 11th, as late as 12.1.5 r.M. 



I have always observed from inside a room. The great 

 thing is to be shaded, not only from the direct light of the 

 sun, but also fiom the brightness of the sky. 



August 11th, 1897. P. M. Ryves. 



•-♦-» 



TEaETATION OF AUSTKALASIA. 

 To the Editors of Knowledge. 



Sirs, — In your issue of May last, Mr. Hemsley, in his 

 interesting article " On the Vegetation of Australasia," 

 makes the statement that " the flora of Australia contains 

 comparatively few plants yielding products of economic 

 value." This requires — as I think you will allow when 

 glancing over the list of trees, etc., given hereunder — some 

 little modification. Mr. Bailey, our Government Botanist, 

 remarks that they are all worthy of cultivation and the pro- 

 duce known to commerce. Antidesmn Bunias, A. Vallachij- 

 anum, A. erostre, A. Ghasemhilla, A. parvifoliwn, Atalantin 

 glauca, Citrus australis, C. australasica, C. sani/uinea, C. 

 inodora, Davidsonin pruriens, Diploylottis Cmininghamii, D. 

 diphillostegia, Euyenia euealyptoides, E. grandis,' E. hemil- 

 ampra, E. Johmonii, E. myrti folia, E. Tierneyana, E. Wil- 

 sonii, Ficus gracilipes (and forty others of the same genus), 

 Garcinia Mestoni, Leptonuria acida, Xep/ieliuin Lautereri- 

 anum, Fihodomyrtus macrocarpa, Rubus ruscefolins, Schizomeria 

 ovata, Vitis acetosa, V. nitens, V. opaca, V. hypoylauca. The 

 above hst is compiled from a paper read by Mr. Bailey 

 before the Australasian Association for the Advancement 

 of Science, Brisbane, 1895, and could be augmented con- 

 siderably, not only from the Queensland flora but by 

 additions from the other colonies. I think, however, it is 

 quite long enough to show that Mr. Hemsley errs somewhat ' 

 in his statement. The fruits — many being of large size, 

 and T'. acetosa bearing bunches averaging from one pound 

 to two pounds in weight — are used by the settlers for a 

 variety of purposes, in which jam and wine making largely 

 predominate. 



larmga, na Brisbane, Queensland, *' Whitteron. 

 July 2nd, 1897. 



[I venture to assert that if Mr. Whitteron had carefully 

 read the opening sentences of my article, to which he 



refers, he would not have written the foregoing letter. 

 Having studied the flora of Australia for nearly forty 

 years, and having specially collected all information that 

 has come under my observation bearing on the economic 

 uses of plants by the aborigines, by the early explorers, 

 and by the colonists, I certainly should not make the 

 statement Mr. Whitteron erroneously attributes to me. 

 Consequently it is unnecessary for me to reply to his com- 

 munication in detail. It is true that the flora of Queens- 

 land is much richer in useful plants, and especially of 

 plants yielding edible fruits, than any other part of 

 Australia ; but the flora of Queensland contains a rela- 

 tively large Asiatic element, as distinguished from the 

 characteristic Australian vegetation. I imagine, too — 

 though I have not the paper referred to— that Mr. Bailey, 

 whom he cites as his authority, will be surprised to learn 

 that the produce of the plants named is known to com- 

 merce. As to Finis ijraciUpfs, and the forty other species 

 of the same genus, nothing could possibly be more mis- 

 leading than such a general statement, though it is true 

 that some of these figs bear an edible, if not a very 

 luscious fruit. Both Mr. Bailey and Mr. Maiden (author 

 of a comprehensive work on the economic botany of 

 Australia) will, I believe, agree that I have not minimized 

 the value of the vegetable products of Australia. ^W. 

 BoTTiNG Hemsley.] 



— I • i 



TlIU; LANGUAGE OF SHAKESPEARE'S GREENWOOD. 

 To tJie Editors of Knowledge. 

 Sirs, — It is diflicult to ascertain what is the exact 

 purport of Mr. Motley's two articles on " The Language 

 of Shakespeare's Greenwood." If he wished to show the 

 connection between Shakespeare's language and that of 

 the Warwickshire peasant of to-day, he has done very 

 little indeed ; in fact, he gives us but a few instances, the 

 equal of which could probably be adduced from any dialect 

 in the country. If he wished to give examples of the 

 virility or poetical force of the Warwickshire dialect or 

 turn of expression, he has certainly succeeded in a few 

 instances. " Scaramouch " is a fine word — I never heard 

 it before — and "folly -fit" is a splendid participial com- 

 pound ; it is one of those words that would enrich our 

 standard English. If, however, he desired to show us the 

 exclusiveness of the Warwickshire dialect, he cannot by 

 any means be said to have succeeded. Your correspondent 

 who writes from Kent points out that the word Mr. Morley 

 selects above all others as a type of this exclusiveness is 

 in use in his county. I am well acquainted with the 

 dialect of Staffordshire (not the Warwickshire side, but 

 that portion most distant, on the borders of Cheshire and 

 Derbyshire), and I can testify to the frequent use of 

 " lather " (with "a" short) for ladder, as well as " blather" 

 and " blether " for bladder. In fact, there is near the town 

 of Leek a ridge known as Ladderedge, but always in 

 common speech " Latheredge." Mr. Morley seems to have 

 overlooked "burthen," which has its place in literary 

 English. Another word selected of exclusive Warwick- 

 shire use is "cade." Some of its applications may be 

 local, but I have always heard a lamb reared by hand 

 called a " cade," and occasionally the term transferred to 

 a spoilt child. As for " nesh " — which is also commonly 

 used in Yorkshire both as an adjective and a verb — "lace," 

 to thrash ; " yarbs " (herbs) ; " wench," in the affectionate 

 and familiar meaning in which " lass " is used in Yorkshire 

 and "lassie" in Scotland; " moither," to harass or worry; 

 "favour," to resemble a parent — all are quite familiar in 

 the dialect of the district I have alluded to. Then the 

 terminal "n" seems to Mr. Morley quite a curiosity. In 

 " housen" this is but the plural ending, as in " oxen," and 



