800 Transactions of the American Institute. 



order, tlie Campaniilacece. If it were blue (which it is not), it might 

 be called the blue-bell of Abyssinia, rather a ditfereut looking Campa- 

 nula from our humble little hare-bell. It is a tree fifteen feet high, 

 with succulent leaves, and, in some respects, bearing a great similarity 

 to the Agaves, with which it has the additional point of resemblance 

 that it lives until it flowers, and then dies. The flower-spike is yel- 

 lowish red in color, and very handsome. Its otlier qualities, however, 

 are not so pleasant ; its fresh juice has the smell of bugs. It is very 

 poisonous ; so much so that even its shadow is said to be fatal to those 

 who sleep under it. A more credible report is, that even its smoke 

 occasions vomiting. 



Cattleya Dowiana. 



The Country Gentleman'' s Magazine of London, gives the figure 

 of this magnificent Orchid, which was received from Costa Rica 

 through G. U. Skinner, Esq. In its coloring and general effect it is 

 entirely unlike anytliing yet seen in the genus ; the sepals and petals 

 being of a mellow straw-color, while the lip is one uniform mass of 

 the darkest purple velvet, streaked regularly throughout with gold 

 threads. The expanded flowers are nearly seven inches across, and 

 the fringed labellum is not less than four inches long, the latter 

 having protruded about an inch beyond the point of the unexpanded 

 buds. Its beauty entitles it to rank as queen of all known Cattleyas. 



White Lead. 



A new process for the manufacture of hydrated carbonate of lead 

 has been invented by M. A. Girard, of France. Lead is first 

 thoroughly granulated ; tlie metal is then placed in a rotating cask, 

 which should be made of beech or elm (not of oak) with one-fourth 

 its weight of pure water. The cask is made to rotate thirty or forty 

 turns a minute, and a current of air is forced in during the rotation. 

 After about two hours nearly all tlie lead is found to be oxydized ; 

 then a current of carbonic acid is forced in instead of the air, and the 

 rotation is continued for four or five hours longer, when the oxyd is 

 found to be converted into the hydrated carbonate which is separated 

 from the metal not oxydized by decantation. The new process difl'ers 

 somewhat from one often used in which litharge (oxyd of lead) is 

 mixed with water and one per cent of neutral acetate of lead, over 

 which carl)onic acid gas is passed until the whole is converted into 

 white lead. In this case the acetate of lead is first formed and then 



