Miscellaneous . 157 



Is this substance a secretion ? There are Chinese who regard it as 

 such, some representing it to be the sahva and others the excrement 

 of the insect. European writers take nearly the same view, but the 

 best authorities expressly say that this opinion is incorrect, and that 

 the animal is changed into wax. I am inclined to believe that the 

 insect undergoes what may be styled a ceraceous degeneration, its 

 whole body being permeated by the peculiar produce in the same 

 manner as the Coccus cacti is by carmine. 



Its cost at Ningpo varies from 22 to 33 cents per pound. 



The annual produce of this humble creature in China cannot be far 

 from 400,000 pounds, worth mpre than ^100,000. — Silliman's 

 American Journal, July 1851. 



Ningpo, August 1850. 



NYMPH^A ALBA VAR. MAJOR. 



Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, July 21, 1852. 



Dear Sir, — A white Water Lily, found growing somewhere not 

 far from London, has been brought to me as a new species. I have 

 doubts about its being any more than a large variety of the NijmphcBa 

 alba, but I inclose you a description of it, which, if you think it 

 worth while to draw the attention of botanists towards it at this 

 season, you will oblige me by inserting in the ' Annals and Mag. of 

 Nat. Hist.' 



It was brought to me quite fresh by Mr. Rich. About a month 

 ago the flowers were imperfect and small, some having five sepals to 

 the calyx, and being more or less irregular ; but a perfect one 

 brought on the 1 7th was at least 7 inches in diameter, and Mr. Rich 

 has had larger. 



I remain, dear Sir, yours truly, 

 Wm. Francis, Esq. J. De C. Sowerby. 



Nymphcea alba var. ? major. 



Flower large, all its parts more elongated than in the ordinary 

 form of A^. alba. The disk of the stigma very concave ; the appen- 

 dages of the radii cylindrical, three times as long as wide. Petaloid 

 stamens broad-lanceolate, attenuated towards the apex, much longer 

 than the next row of stamens. Anther-cells diverging at the base. 

 Petals numerous, rather pointed, the innermost longer than the sta- 

 mens. Sepals of the calyx ovate-elongated. Leaf broad ovate, nar- 

 rowed towards the point. Ribs or primary veins ten on each side of 

 the central one ; on the back of the leaf they are narrow, raised and 

 rigid ; the secondary veins also are raised and firm. In other pointa 

 it agrees with the ordinary A^. alba : they both grow in the same 

 piece of water. 



In the common N. alba the disk of the stigma is nearly flat ; the 

 appendages to its radii are ovate, only one and a half times as long 

 as wide. The petaloid stamens are ovate-lanceolate, the same length 

 as the next stamens, with the anther-cells parallel. The inner petals 

 are shorter than the stamens, ovate and obtuse. The sepals oval. 



