156 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The first turkey eaten in France were at the nuptial feast of Charles 

 9th, in 1575. Belo confounds the pintado or Guinea hen with our turkey, 

 in his account of Rome. 



The Canary bird, so plenty in the Canaries that you can kill twenty at 

 one shot, came there with the first Spaniards. 



A domestic Swan was unknown to Aristotle and Pliny. It was first 

 domesticated in the middle ages. 



The Bardan of Japan resembles sunflower, bears cold and drought well, 

 leaves smooth and bright green flower, lively purple. Seeds must be 

 sown as soon as gathered. The roots are large, eat like artichoke, very 

 wholesome ; cook as scorzonera. 



Dr. Sicard, of Marseilles, — note on the degeneracy of the Chinese sor- 

 ghum, since its introduction into France. 



[Journale de la Societe, &c., &c., Paris, February, 1859.] 

 THE VANILLA 



Is an Orchid, growing on the bark of trees, &c.; climbs like ivy. Its 

 perfume is owing to the crystals of Benzoic acid which form on the pod. 

 — [Meigs.] 



" We are indebted to Mons. Mouquln Tandin for information. It is 

 found in Mexico, in Java, and other islands of the Eastern Archipelago, 

 and in our tropical regions. It requires a year to perfect its perfume. 

 It is gathered in December, in Mexico, chiefly by Indians, who dry the 

 pods in the sun, and then plunge them into oil from the nut of the mahog- 

 any tree. They do this to exclude the air. Some thread them together 

 by the stem ends, dip them in boiling water, hang them in the sun for 

 some heurs, and then with a feather or a finger oil them all over. 



INSECTS. 



The Institute has received, by the last steamer, some of the Parisian 

 works relating to agriculture, &c. Among them an article on insects 

 written by Victor Chatel (de Vire), Antwerp, 14 Boulevard de Paris, from 

 which we translate the following : 



In the various notes I have published since 1853, in reference to the 

 disease in potato, grape vine, mulberry, apple, colza, peas, beans, &c., I 

 have persisted in spite of the opposite opinion given by many French and 

 foreign savants, to attribute to insects instead of some abnormal condition 

 of atmosphere, the disease in question, sustaining always my opinion by 

 facts — such as the oidium on vine, botrytis on potato, erysipelas on pea, 

 rust on beans, jusisporium lateritium (the 4th order of Lindley, in his 

 vegetable kingdom of the Fungales, Hyphomycetis on the mulberry, &c., 

 &c. Admitting, however, in the potato and grape malady, the concurring 

 influence in these two cases, of an abnormal atmospheric influence not yet 

 scientifically defined. We hear on all sides that fruit does not keep as it 

 used to — that it becomes spotted and rots. Convinced more than ever 



