354 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



record of forests of resinous trees becoming phosphor- 

 escent in stormy weather ' l 



c Luminous appearances have been observed in certain 

 plants. These have been long noticed in the lower 

 classes of plants, such as fungi. Decaying wood, in 

 which fungi are developed, is sometimes luminous/ 

 Many agarics are vividly luminous. Mr. F. Drummond 

 describes one, near the Swan river, which emitted at 

 night a phosphorescent light sufficient for him to read 

 by. The younger Yon Linne, confirming his sister's 

 observations, states that the flowers of nasturtium, 

 orange lily, and African marigold at the end of a hot 

 summer day give out intermittent light. Other ob- 

 servers have noticed this with the common marigold 

 and Papaver pilosum, the sunflower, French marigold, 

 (Enothera and Arum. It is to be remarked that the 

 flowers said to be thus luminous are all more or less 

 orange colour, and that the phenomenon takes place in 

 still warm summer evenings towards twilight. 



In 1766 Linne was ordered to arrange for the last 

 time her Majesty's cabinet. 2 This meeting in old age 

 between the queen and her great and valued subject 

 reminds one somewhat of the last conferences of Queen 

 Elizabeth with the aged Burleigh. Eespect had grown 

 to veneration, each of the other. They had helped to 

 make history together. There is something indescrib- 

 .ably pathetic in these historical scenes. His king was 

 dying soon after this Yon Linne's revered queen be- 

 1 Ealfour's Botany. 2 Diary. 



