114 Foreign Notices. 



istence disappears. In other words it is alternately a bird and insect: it 

 is perhaps about one inch in length and three-fourths of an inch in cir- 

 ciiinference. It is of a brownish color, shaped lii<e a wasp, destitute of 

 win^s, head similar to a beetle, with two antenna? or horns, has neither 

 its head on either side, a short leg shaped like those of the mole, with 

 broad, serrated extremities, and intended, doubtless, like those of the 

 earth, it has also two posterior legs, the purjmse of which shall l)e 

 seen. When the insect has attained its growth, it disappears beneath 

 the surface of the ground and dies. Immediately after its death the two 

 posterior legs, just spoken of, begin to sprout or vegetate. These two 

 shoots soon appear above the earth, and I he insect plant soon attains 

 the height of about six inches. It puts forth branches and leaves re- 

 sembling trefoil. The extremities of the branches bear a bud, which 

 contains, in eml)ryo, neither leaves nor flowers, but an insect! As the 

 insect developes itself and grows, it neither falls to the ground, or re- 

 turns on its mother plant, but feeding on its leaves until the plant is ex- 

 hausted, when the insect returns to earth again, and again the plant 

 shoots forth ! 



The true nature of this insect plant or vegetable insect, we know not 

 what to call it, is entirely inexplicable to us. It may be surmised that an 

 insect has here associated itself with the seed of a plant, in such a man- 

 ner that they produce and mature each other. Or, it may be sup[»osed, 

 that nature has invested this specimen of existence with attributes the 

 nearest possibly assimilated to those of both the vegetal)le and animal 

 kingdoms, yet belonging not exactly to either, but entirely to both. It 

 may seem to be the hinging point at which the animal kingdom merges 

 into the vegetable, and the vegetable into the animal kingdom. It is cer- 

 tuiidy a wonderful curiosity, and we believe that it is not entirely un- 

 known to naturalists, but has never before been publicly described. 



We understand that a gentleman in Philadelphia of whom the speci- 

 men we saw was procured, is cultivating a quantity of them which he 

 has obtained from North Carolina, for the purpose of furnishing the 

 JMuseums. We hope to be able to furnish a more particular account 

 of this insect vegetable hereafter. In the speciinen we saw, the plant 

 had grown about three inches, and the insect was yet preserved in its 

 original and nearly perfect state, — Tarn. Mag. 



Art. II. Foreign Notices. 



Dahlia Exhibitions. — These exhibitions were held in various parts of 

 England last fall, and the beauty and splendor of the flowers were su- 

 perior to any ever before seen. We extract the following account of 

 the Cambridge Florist's Society. 



" This Society had their grand autumnal show of dahlias on Thurs- 

 day, Sept. 24th, in the Assembly room at the Hoop Hotel. We have 

 witnessed many floral exhibitions here and at other places, but we never 

 before beheld any thing approaching the beauty and magnificence of this 

 exhibition; on no previous occasion was the dahlia exhibited in so high 

 a state of excellence. We may expect to see great additions made to the 

 colors and varieties of this very beautiful flower, but we much doubt if 

 ever the grand stand of prize flowers displayed on this occasion will be 

 surpassed in size or quality by that of any future show. The task of 

 decorating the room was entrusted to Mr. Edward Catling, florist, of 



