143 
prized by the natives. The Quinquina, or Peruvian bark; was con- 
fined to a small district of the Colombian Andes; and cocoa and cho- 
colate were the produce of a plant limited to the warmer regions of 
South America. Numerous other instances of plantal limitation might 
be given, as the cow-tree of Venezuela, the tussock-grass (Dactylis 
cespitosa) of the Falkland Isles, the hand-tree of Mexico, whose gory 
flowers were regarded with awe, and of which only two living speci- 
mens were known; and the double cocoa-nut (Ladoicea Sechellarum) 
of the Seychelle Islands, in the Indian Ocean, which, till those islands 
were discovered, in 1789, had been believed to be produced by. the 
sea, and valued as a talisman at avery high price. One more curious 
plant might be mentioned—the Maltese champignon (Cynomorium 
coccineum), which only grew on the little rock of Gozo, near Malta. 
The knights of Malta had a superstitious veneration for it, and 
appointed a custode to guard the spot, and since Malta had been 
appended to England, the salary of this custode had been paid by the 
British Government, and might be an appropriate appointment for a 
botanist. The lecturer observed that the manners and habits of diffe- 
rent peoples were much influenced by vegetable products, and 
the temperature that limited the growth of grain also stopped the pro- 
gress of the human race; where sustenance was easily procured by 
fruits and rice, as in tropical regions, the inhabitants were indolent 
and apathetic, and really only exhibited the highest amount of intel- 
lect where Rubi and bitter wild berries offered little temptation to a 
lazy dweller in the woods. Plants, however, were the children of the 
sun, and luxuriated most in heat and brightness, so that when they 
were transplanted into colder regions they must have additional care 
and attention, because other conditions arose than those Nature had 
originally provided. Mr. Lees concluded with eloquent observa- 
tions on the moral bearings of the subject, resulting from an investi- 
gation of the works of Nature, and the elevation of thought they 
inspired. 
The lecture was profusely illustrated with most excellent diagrams 
of geological formations, tree-ferns, palms, Cacti, and plants of various 
kinds. A beautiful collection of dried plants was placed for the 
inspection of the company, and many were handed about during the 
lecture, amongst which was a dried specimen of the smallest palm, 
brought from Gibraltar. At the conclusion of Mr. Lees’s address Mr. 
Gissing, the Secretary, on the part of the Phytological Club, returned 
thanks to Mr. Lees for his very instructive and entertaining lecture. 
Mr. Baxter returned thanks to the Rev. W. A. Hill for the use of the 
