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A tour of the conservatories at the present time would repay 
the observer with a view of many interesting and showy plants. 
In house no. 1,in which the large palm and cycad collections 
are located, is that novel plant, Stangeria eriopus,to which atten- 
tion has been called before. The cone is now well developed. 
In southern Africa, where it is native, it is known as the Hotten- 
tot’s head. In house no. 2 many of the attractive members of 
the arum and pine-apple families may now be seen, some of them 
gorgeous in their bright colorings. In no. 4, in addition to the 
always interesting bananas, may be seen, in the glory of its 
bloom, that attractive shrub of the Philippine Islands, Medinilla 
adie A large specimen and a smaller one, the latter more 
to the requirements of the ordinary private Saved 
are eae in great profusion their large masses of t pink 
blossoms. In this house also is Roxburgh’s fig, Ficus Roche sie 
from Burma and the Himalayas, with its large masses of de- 
pressed fruit borne in clusters near the base of the trunk. 
Another plant is a interesting on account of its economic im- 
portance. This e chocolate tree, Theobroma Cacao, now with 
a single een a a condition in which it is not often seen 
under glass. In no. 5 the desert plants from southern Africa 
are at the height of their season. The members of the genera 
Aloe, Gasteria and Haworthia make the bench on which they are 
placed very attractive, many of the aloes being especially gor- 
geous. In no. 13 the bottle-brush tree, Callistemon citrinus, 
from Australia, is just donning its mantle of bright flowers, the 
odd shape of its inflorescence giving to it the popular name. 
little further on one is greeted with the delicious perfume of the 
Tobira, Pittosporum Tobira, another Australian plant. Still fur- 
ther on are plants of the palm genus Zrachycarpus ; T. Fortunet, 
now just passing out of flower, a native of northern and central 
China, and 7. exce/sus, the Japanese representative, now at its 
height, with great masses of rich golden-yellow flowers borne 
among the leaves. In no. 15 the tropical orchids hold sway, and 
here may be seen at any time many plants of interest and at- 
tractiveness from all parts of the tropical world. 
Meteorology for April. — Total precipitation for the month was 
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