203 
grow on the top of high trees, where their beauty would be almost 
concealed to the naked eye, and their charms in a great measure lost, 
but upon low shrubs, and often so near the ground, that several bota- 
nists have been induced to consider them terrestrial plants. But about 
their parasitism there can be no doubt. Griffith once. thought that 
he found a terrestrial Loranthus (referred to in his Itiner. Notes, p. 
63, No. 961) ; and writing at Myrung, he says: ‘The vegetation of 
the hills about here is much the same as about Moflong. . . The most 
curious tree is one which, with the true appearance of an Eleagnus, 
seems to be a Loranthus, the first arborescent species yet found, 
although, as one or two other exceptions occur to parasitism, there 
is no reason why there should not be a terrestrial arborescent species, 
as well as a fruticose one. However, when Dr. J. D. Hooker and 
Dr. T. Thomson visited the neighbourhood of Myrung, in the Khasia 
mountains, the locality where that author met with the strange spe- 
cies, they observed an Elzagnus with a Loranthus upon it, the leaves 
of both resembling each other in a remarkable degree, making it 
highly probable that a parasite growing in a similar manner gave rise 
to the very pardonable mistake of Griffith, Other anomalies of the 
same nature may doubtless be cleared up by a similar course of inves- 
tigation. I have seen several species of Loranthus with aérial roots, 
but never one of the roots penetrating into the ground; and those 
roots I have only observed in climbing species having very slender 
branches, where they replace in a great measure the cirrhi, or hooks, 
with which climbing plants are generally furnished.” 
‘A Manual of Natural History, for the use of Travellers ; being a 
Description of the Families of the Animal and Vegetable King- 
doms: with Remarks on the practical study of Geology and 
Meteorology. To which are appended Directions for Collect- 
ing and Preserving. By ArtHur Apams, M.R.C.S.; F.LS.; 
M.E.S., Stettin; Wuit1AmM BALrour Barxkiz, M.D., F.B.S.E., 
late one of the Presidents of the Royal Medical Society of 
Edinburgh ; and Cares Barron, Curator of the Royal Naval 
Museum at Haslar. London: John Van Voorst, Paternoster 
Row. 1854. Post 8vo; 750 pages. Price 12s. 
_ This might be called the book with the promising title; but the 
promise is not confined to the title ; and we feel sure that the authors 
