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Cacti, to the number of twenty or more, were brought 

 from the West Indies, last spring by the Hon. John Lowell, 

 in whose green-house we had the pleasure of seeing them. 

 Some of these are new and interesting. From an examination 

 of these, with others already familiar, through the kindness of 

 this gentleman, we have reasons to think that great confusion 

 exists among the species usually cultivated. The attention of 

 the botanist should be directed to this subject, that the un- 

 doubted liability to error among florists in synonymes, should 

 be lessened. With such opportunities, as are aftbrdedby the 

 existence of so many groups of varieties and species among 

 us, we deem the point an important one. 



To the admirers of the Cape Heaths, we take great pleas- 

 ure in referring to the extensive and beautiful representatives 

 of that family, belonging to Mr Towne, — while the well 

 grown plants of Col. Wilder, under Mr Donald's culture will 

 not be overlooked. For other and numerous sale collections, 

 we refer to the usual advertisements of Horticultural publica- 

 tions. A specimen of Erica baccans, between five and six 

 feet high, with several other species of beauty, we find men- 

 tioned as particularly good, in the green-house of J. D. W. 

 Williams. For many years William E. Carter _,of the 

 Botanic Garden, took the lead in these plants. From the 

 assiduity and discrimination of Mr Towne, however, we ex- 

 pect great benefit in detecting and exposing incorrect syno- 

 nymes, and reducing to order the fist of species. He has al- 

 ready rejected not a few from his list, and will show no favor 

 to any others, of which he is confident of mistaken nomencla- 

 ture. His published list, kindly furnished, through the pages 

 of the Magazine of Botany, gives a group of eightyfour dis- 

 tinct sorts. 



The taste of the geraniums (Pelargonium sp:) has been 

 uniformly the same for several years past. Each season 

 brings into cultivation many new, choice, and superb varie- 



