206 THE 
GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[Mar. 28, 
was during winter. ‘This fact, which my gardener 
Michael Carmichael vouched for, satisfied me ; and I 
accordingly built my hothouse contrary, I confess, to 
his opinion, and that of all the scientific gardeners 
near this, among whom I may mention Lord Aber- 
eromby’s gardener ; and in spite of Mr. Glendinning’s 
assertions, I think the Polmaise system will gradually 
make its way.— Wm. Murray, Polmaise, March 24. 
Foreign Correspondence. 
Paris CaMELLIA Snow, 1846.—It is.to the lady pa- 
tronesses of the Société Royale and Cercle Général 
d'Horticulture that we are indebted for an exhibition 
of these splendid plants, which, moreover, they propose 
to.continue every spring. It certainly is a fortunate 
thing that ladies, moving in the highest circles of rank 
and fashion, should take so great an interest in horticul- 
ture, otherwise we must have been content with one 
annual show from each society, as heretofore. Itis incom- 
prehensible how the directors of these societies (which, 
by-the-bye, are most liberally patronised by the public) 
ean rest satisfied with remaining stationary while all the 
world beside is progressing at railroad pace; but such 
is the fact. It must be obvious that exhibitions, when 
honourably conducted, conduce perhaps more than any- 
thing else to the prosperity of horticulture; this has 
been the case both in England and Belgium, and would 
be the same here, were the status quo got rid of. Let 
conduct of the ladies may be the 
Upon the present occasion they 
offered a gold medal for the finest and most numerous 
collection of seedling or new Camellias in flower, and 
another gold medal for the finest and most numerous 
general collection ; also a silver medal for the finest and 
most numerous collection of Rhododendrons, and an- 
other for Azaleas ; beside other prizes for the second 
best in each class. [tis to be regretted that the pro- 
gramme was indefinite as to the number of plants; be- 
cause it has too frequently happened that the mos 
numerous collection has been rewarded, and a smaller 
one, every way superior, altogether passed over. The 
show was held in the grand gallery of the Palais du 
Luxembourg, from the 18th to the 22d of this month 
(Mareh) ; unfortunately, intimation was only given to 
growers within the last three weeks, and the collections 
were not so numerous as might have been wished. N 
doubt, Camellias would have been better 10 days or a 
fortnight ago, but that would have been too early for 
zaleas; perhaps there may have been other reasons, 
otherwise how shall we account for the fact, that only 
ten exhibitors eould be found among the multitude of 
publie and private growers round Paris. It is but too 
notorious that a spirited collector, with a long purse, 
is in a far better position to gain;a prize than the 
most skilfal cultivator of a moderate-sized collection ; 
this system would not be tolerated in England ; here 
it is openly practised, and plants gain a prize which 
have been purchased but a few days previously. On 
the whole, considering the shortness of the notice, both 
the publie aud exhibitors have reason to be s ed; 
there were some fine specimens, and not a few beauti- 
ful new things; the awards were, moreover, strictly 
just. The competitors of Camellias were Messieurs 
Cels, Courtois, Durand, Gontiers, Hardy, Margottin, 
Paillet, and Souchet ; for Rhododendrons, Messieurs. 
Durand, Guérin, and the Barons James and Salomon 
de Rothschild; for Azaleas, Durand and Margottin. 
It was expected that the Abbé Berlóze, so well known by 
his splendid “ Monographie du genre Camellia,” would 
have been among the exhibitors; his collection 
was considered the finest private one in Paris ; 
it appears, however, that he has, within the last 
week, disposed of it to the proprietors of the new 
winter-garden of the Champs Ely: for the sum of 
12007.— The Gold Medal for the finest general collection 
of Camellias was awarded to Mr. Paillet, who is one of the 
best Parisian growers. In his collection were some fine 
large plants from 6 to 8 feet high, especially delicatis- 
sima, alba fenestrata, Clowesiana, Chandleri, Henri 
Favre, picturata, imbricata alba, and Wardii de Floy ; 
among the smaller plants: Cockii, imbricata rubra, 
Gousonia, Lineata, Queen Victoria, magniflora plena, 
evesii, eximia, and Chandleri elegans, were con. 
spicuous for their perfection of form or colour; but the 
gem of this collection was Preniland, a most beautiful 
cupped flower, large, very double, and the colour a deli- 
eate pink; to which may be added Marguerite de 
Gouillon and Pirzio, two peneilled flowers of great 
beauty.— Mr. Souehet gained the Gold Medal for the 
finest collection of new varieties ; among them I noticed 
two or three of extraordinary beauty, and perfectly dis- 
tinct from anything yet out. I regret not being able to 
give the names or numbers ; they were almost entirely 
Without either. The flower which was most admired 
was of a pale pink, rather veined and regularly bor- 
dered white; it was large, of good substance, and double, 
and no Camellia grower will be without it; another was 
in the way of miniata, but far better; another like Lord 
Ker, but the stripe more distinct. He also gained the 
second prize for a general collection. The plants were 
not large, but well blown, partieularly imbricata rubra, 
Marguerite Gouillon, Henri Favre, Juliana, Augustina 
superba, Colvilli, King, Decus Italicum, picturata, 
Lord Ker, Chandleri, Duchesse d'Orléans, and Queen 
Vietoria.— Prizes were also awarded to Messrs. Cour- 
tois and Goutier.—The Silver Medal for Rhododendrons 
was awarded to Mr. Grison, gr. to Baron Salomon de 
Rothschild, for a large collection of well crown plants, 
among which I notieed Smithii elegans, Lady Warren- 
der, Duchess of Wurtemberg, speciosum, &c.; the only 
thing wanting was a greater diversity of colour.—The 
second prize was awarded to Mr. Guérin, for a smaller 
collection ; his plants of Smithii roseum, Lady Warren- 
der, f issi an perb were everything 
that could be wished.—It was evidently too early for 
Azaleas. The Silver Medal was gained by Mr. Mar- 
gottin ; his best flowers were Smithii coccinea, varie- 
gata, liliflora, Youngii, and lilacina triumphans.— The 
second prize was awarded to Mr. Durand, for a small 
collection, consisting of coccinea grandiflora, variegata, 
Orange pink, liliflora alba, Mazeppa, phcenicea, 
Danielsii, and two or three others ; to which he added 
about 20 varieties of A. pontica, of no particular merit. 
Soot(etíes. 
MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 
March 18.—J. S. Bowrrsanx, Esq., in the chair. 
Mr. C. M. Torrine was admitted an associate, and Mr. 
Z. D. Hunt a member. A paper was read by Mr. J. 
QueKerr on the structure of the bones of mammals 
birds, reptiles, and fishes, with a view to their identifica- 
ion when occurring in small fragments in a fossilised 
State. The author referred to Professor Owen's re- 
searches on the teeth of animals to show that the struc- 
ture of the hard parts of animals might be employed for 
the identification of families if not of species. His at- 
tention was first called to the subject by a portion of a 
claw of an animal being put into his hands by Dr. Fal- 
coner, from the structure of which he was induced to 
refer it to the class of reptiles and the order Chelonia. 
It turned out to be a portion of the osseous struc- 
ture of the enormous tortoise of the Sewalik hills. 
After describing the structure of bones generally, the 
author stated that the structure of the bone cells would 
alone distinguish between mammals and birds, as com- 
pared with reptiles and fishes, In birds and mammals 
they are of the same form, but much smaller in the 
former than the latter. The birds may, however, be 
distinguished from mammals by the tortuous character 
ofthe Haversian canals. In'the reptiles, the bone cells 
are elongated, whilst in the fish they are either absent 
altogether, or round and very large e "President 
remarked on the value of this paper, and stated that by 
means of a knowledge of the structure of the bone cells 
in reptiles, he had been able to refer a fossil bone to the 
genus Pterodactylus, which had hitherto been supposed 
to belong to a bird. 
BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 
March 12.—Dr. Batrour in the chair. Several 
donations to the library and museum were announced. 
The following communications were read :— 
1. On the altitudinal range of the Mosses in Aber- 
deenshire, y G. Dicxiz, M.D., Lecturer on Botany 
in the University and King's College of Aberdeen. 
2. Remarks on the state of the Sibthorpian Herba- 
rium at Oxford, suggested by the announcement of a 
new edition of the “Flora Greca.” By Dr. R. C. 
ALEXANDER, 
3. Botanical Excursion in Lower Styria in 1842. By 
the same. 
D 
5 
3 ANDER stated, that he had been persuaded 
by his friend, Dr. Maly, of Gratz, to take a tour through 
Lower Styria in 1842. “A country that had been little 
explored by botanists, though seeming to claim their 
especial notice. Situated in a degree of latitude almost 
the same as that of the middle of France, at the base of 
the great central Alpine group of Europe, three branches 
of which terminate in this province ; and on the eastern 
side exposed to the influence of the great plain of Hun- 
gary where the winter isas ecld as the steppes of Russia, 
and the summer as hot as the warmest parts of Italy or 
Spain, it might be expected to evince in its vegetation 
the effects of a elimate so modified.” The excursion 
commenced about the beginning of May and lasted till 
the end of July ; during which time Dr. A. was enabled 
to make a large and valuable collection of plants, in- 
cluding several species new to Styria. Specimens of 
the more interesting species were exhibited to the meet- 
ing, the Society’s herbarium having been enriched by 
a very complete set through the kindness of Dr. 
Alexander. 
A letter from Dr. Brnwzrr, Albrighton, was read, 
announcing the discovery of Vaccinium macrocarpum 
near Mold, in Flintshire, in August last ; and from Mr. 
W. A. Stasies, noticing the discovery of Neottia nidus- 
avis in Cawdor Woods, Nairnshire. 
Dr. BALFOUR exhibited specimens of disease in plants 
caused by insects; one of these consisted of stipitate ex- 
crescences on the leaves of a N. American tree; concern- 
ing which Dr. B. read some extracts from a letter which 
he had received from Mr. White of the British Museum : 
—* The swellings on the leaves of the plant seem to be 
caused by some species of plant louse ; one kind is very 
hurtful to the Peach tree, but attacks the leaves in a 
different way to the insect on your specimen, Dr. Harris 
in his admirable work on the insects. of Massachussetts 
injurious to vegetation, speaks of some aphides, * the 
punctures of which affect plants in a most singular man- 
ner, producing warts or swellings, which are sometimes 
solid and sometimes hollow, and contain in.their interior 
a swarm of lice, the descendants of a single individual, 
whose punctures were the original cause of the tumour. 
I have seen reddish tumours of this kind as big as a 
pigeon’s egg, growing upon leaves, to which they were 
attached by a slender neck and containing thousands of 
small lice in their interior.’ Possibly the exereseences 
may be caused by some minute moth (Tortricidous or 
Tineidous), as there are evidences of some little larva that 
has eaten away the parts between the cuticle at the base 
of some of the Your speci have ex- 
amined, but do not find any fragments of the insects, 
although there are traces of dung, and a small part of a 
web, certainly remains of a moth, and there is no reason 
why the excrescences may not be the nidi for the eggs of 
an Eriosoma (an aphidious insect), and the web, dung, 
and eaten part, evidences of some tinea. Mr. Double- 
day has observed similar warts on leaves, but knows not 
how they are produced.” 
IRebies. 
Memorials of John Ray; edited by Edwin Lankester, 
: On the Alternation of Generations ; by J. J. 
Steenstrup, translated by George Busk, Esq. The 
Nudibranchiate Mollusca of Great Britain ; by J. 
Alder and A. Hancock : Part II. Ray Society. 
Tuere are none of the publishing societies that occupy 
a field of more importance and usefulness than that of 
the Ray Society. Natural history does not receive in 
this country, in our seats of learning, or from the public, 
that eneouragement which would generally lead book- 
sellers to publish works expensively illustrated, or pro- 
foundly written, and needs a society like this both to 
develop a taste, and supply the material for its study. 
How well it has executed this task must be judged of 
by the books it has published. We noticed the first 
two volumes with approbation, and the three now be- 
fore us are worthy of their predecessors. Amongst 
illustrated works on natural history we know of nothing 
more beautiful than the work of Messrs. Alder and 
Hancock. Part II. is an improvement on the former 
fasciculus, both in the drawing and colouring of the 
animals. In addition to 10 plates, consisting of figures 
of the animals, it contains three devoted to anatomical 
details. At a period when the structure and functions 
of these animals have been a subject of so much dis- 
cussion between French and English naturalists, these 
minute investigations by such accurate observers of the 
family are of the highest interest. We hope the coun- 
cil will be induced, from the successful manner in which 
they have brought out this work, to publish works 
equally well illustrated devoted to the science of botany. 
We could have wished to have had a more imposin 
volume devoted to the memory of Ray. It consists of 
* Ray's Life? by Dr. Denham, Sir J. E. Smith's 
“Notice” from * Rees’ Cyclopedia,” a translation of 
the article “Ray” by Cuvier and Dupetit Thouars 
in the * Biographie Universelle ;” the “ Itineraries ” 
of Ray, and a paper on the “Number of Plants,” 
by Ray. There are a number of biographical notes 
by the editor, Dr. Lankester; and Mr. Babington, 
of Cambridge, has supplied the modern names of the 
plants mentioned by Ray in his * Itineraries.” The 
letters, which it appears the council intended originally 
to publish, will appear ina future volume. Although 
we should have liked to have seen a good original life 
of Ray, which is still a desideratum in our language,we 
think the council has done quite wisely in publishing 
these memorials, some of which are not to be purchased, 
and others generally inaccessible, in preference to a life 
written hastily, or by an incompetent person. Through 
these memorials only a very faint glimpse will be ob- 
tained of the true greatness of the man to whom they 
are devoted, as little or nothing is said, if indeed it were 
even known or guessed at, of the influence of the genius 
of Ray on the science of botany, by those who have de- 
voted most attention to his biography. The“ Memo- 
rials" are illustrated by a very pretty sketch of the tomb 
of Ray, and Black Notley Church, from the peneil of 
Professor Edward Forbes. 
The remaining volume is a translation of a work 
which appeared originally in Danish, and subse- 
quently in German, and which has produced a consider- 
able sensation amongst the naturalists of the Continent. 
The author points out the fact that certain animals, 
before they complete the cycle of their development, 
pass through various forms, and that many of these forms 
have been regarded by naturalists as perfect species, 
The intermediate forms between the perfect animals the 
author calls “ nurses,” or “nursing generations.” This 
peculiar form of development has been only observed in 
the lower forms of animals, although a modification of 
the law might, perhaps, be found in the higher animals 
where the offspring are sometimes found to resemble, in 
peculiarities of form, those of the grand-parents, and 
not those of the parents. We believe that there are 
some facts amongst the lower orders of plants which 
would admit the application of such a theory, and think 
that the subject deservesfurther inquiry, This volume 
is illustrated with three plates, two of which have been 
executed by the Anastatic process, which promises to 
ke of value in the republication of illustrated works. 
The third volume of the second year is, we under- 
stand, in a state of forwardness for publication, and will 
consist of a report by Professor Link, on the progress 
of botany ; a paper by Dr. Zucearini, on the morphology 
of the Conifers, with plates; reports on the progress 
of botanical geography, by Professor Grisebach ; and a 
paper by Dr. Neegeli, on the structure and develop- 
ments of cells in vegetable tissue ; all translated from 
the German. 
We are surprised to find with what limited means 
the Council has been enabled to publish these works. 
Members are entitled for their first two years’ sub- 
seription to the six volumes we have mentioned, and yef 
the number of the members has not reached 1000. 
With the present number of members the works are 
cheap, but with an inerease in their numbers the Coun- 
cil would beable to publish more works; and we feel 
