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some search, we find tlie source of these extraordmary state- 

 ments in the " Medical Flora " of the eccentric Rafinesque. 

 He says the seeds are called Pistachio nuts in the Southern 

 States, are rather oily and palatable, etc., but he neglects to 

 mention their size. He adds, " The bark and leaves are some- 

 what bitter, very astringent, leaving a sweetish pungent taste. 

 The smell is not unpleasant. It has not been analyzed as 

 yet, but probably contains tannin, a marine, extractive, and 

 an essential oil." To all this, Endlicher, on the strength of 

 " the sweetish pungent taste," has added the acridity ; and 

 so one of the blandest and most useless of shrubs gets a 

 world-wide and wholly factitious reputation for active medical 

 qualities and esculent seeds ; and even Dr. Griffith, who 

 must have known the shrub, has been induced to give it a 

 place in his " Medical Botany." 



Our remaining remark relates to the random way in which 

 mere analogies are mixed up with affinities in estimating or 

 expressing the relationship of orders, etc., in this as in some 

 other more notable works. It is, or at least ought to be, well 

 understood, that mere analogy, i. c, likeness in some one re- 

 spect only, however striking the imitation, is no indication of 

 relationship, but that relationship rests upon affinity, i. e., 

 upon agreement or similarity in the whole plan of structure, 

 and especially of floral structure, whether general or particular, 

 as the case may be. To speak, therefore, of " evident " and 

 "most distinct" affinities between Coniferce and Lycopo- 

 d'lacem is an example of this prevalent misconception of what 

 affinity is. This is more intelligible, however, than the " ap- 

 proach " suggested of Aquifoliacece to Loganiacem and Apo- 

 cynacea?^ while their resemblance to CdastracecB is thought 

 to be of small account ; or that of UmhelUferce to I^uhiacece, 

 Saxifragacece, and even to Geraniacece, to which the resem- 

 blances do indeed " seem rather superficial." Again, jLcm- 

 thoxylacece (i. e., Rutaceai) are said to have considerable 

 affinity to Oleacece^ because Ptelea, in the former, has a 

 samaroid fruit, as has Fraxinus in the latter. May we add, 

 as quite as much to the purpose, that the common Xanthoxy- 

 lums have pinnate leaves, and are popularly called Prickly 

 Ash? 



