VOL. XLIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 51 



Kaempfer, are 2 distinct species of rhus, or toxicodendron, and will ever remain 

 so, let the soil be either good or bad that they are planted in. 



P. S. After writing the above, Mr. E. received a parcel of the officinal anacar- 

 diums, which had been lately brought from the East Indies. These have their 

 fleshy fruit with their stalks still adhering to them. The better to illustrate 

 this matter, he gave a figure of one of them in fig. 8. The manner of the growth 

 of this fruit evidently shows that it cannot be the oepata of the Hort. Malab. 

 vol. 4, p. 95, tab. 45, as quoted by Linneus ; the whole nut of which is inclosed 

 in a fleshy coat, like an almond. It seems to come nearest to the cassubium 

 sylvestre of Rumphius, Hort Amboin. vol. 1, p. 179, ^^b. 7O; where, besides 

 the figure and manner of growth of the fruit, he mentions that they varnish 

 their warlike and other kinds of wooden instruments, of a black colour, with 

 the milky juice which they draw from this tree; and that they mark themselves 

 on their arms and other parts with the corroding juice of the nut, which con- 

 tinues a long time before it disappears. 



Rumphiu^ further particularly describes this plant to be of the pentandria mo- 

 nogynia of Linneus's method ; so that it must differ entirely from the anacar- 

 dium occidentale, which belongs to the decandria monogynia of that author. He 

 likewise makes this remark, that the cashew-tree, or occidental anacardium, is 

 not a native of the East Indies; but has been brought thither by the Portuguese, 

 from the Brasils : and that they are no where to be found in those parts, except 

 where they have had their settlements. 



CXI 11. On the Present Increase of the People in Britain and Ireland. By 



William Brakenridge, D, D., Rector of St, Michael Bassishaw, London, and 



F. R. S. p. 877. 



Dr. B. intends the present communication as a supplement to his two former 

 papers on the number of persons in London, lately printed in these Transactions. 

 Having re-considered the subject, he thinks it may be proved, that there is no 

 increase at all from both our British isles, after the deduction of our losses ; and 

 that in England, taken by itself, the natives would be in a decreasing state, if it 

 were not for the supplies from Scotland and Ireland. As this seems to be of 

 some importance to discover, because of its consequence with regard to policy, 

 and the influence it may sometimes have, he endeavours to show it as plainly as 

 the present circumstances of things will allow. 



Dr. Halley has shown, from his table of the probabilities of life at Breslau, 

 that the number of men able to carry arms in any country, between 18 and 56 

 years of age, or, as they are called, the fencible men, may be estimated as a 

 4th part of the whole people, children included. From which it demonstrably 

 follows, that the 4 th part of the annual increase will likewise be the increase of 



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