JDom estic Notices : — Engla nd. 27 '3 



AUSTRALIA. 



Hobart Town, Van Diemerfs Land, Oct. 11. 1833. — " Among the valuable 

 seeds and plants introduced into the colony by Mr. Sams, recently returned 

 to us by the Indiana, are two from the Mauritius, indigenous to that island; 

 namely, the Mowrung and Teifain'a, the latter named after Mr. Telfair, the 

 late eminent botanist and scholar of that place. The Mowrung is a most 

 beautiful quick-growing plant, bearing a pod of about 5 or 6 in. in length, 

 filled with black seeds about the size of a small bean or large pea. In its 

 young state, the leaves and pods, and also the roots, are eatable, it thus proving 

 a most useful and palatable esculent. Should it thrive in this island, which, 

 with the care usually bestowed by Mr. Davidson of the government garden, in 

 inuring plants of similar latitudes to the climate of this place, and the great 

 success already attending his exertions, it may be expected will be the case, 

 it will ultimately prove a valuable acquisition to the colony. The Telfairk is 

 also a diadelphous plant, bearing a seed about the size of a kidneybean, 

 covered with a reticulated skin, and climbing up any supporter to a towering 

 height. Both plants have been recently introduced into England. 



" A new species of Eucalyptus was lately discovered by Mr. Backhouse, in 

 the course of a journey that gentleman made to Mount Wellington. It is a 

 stately tree, resembling the stringy bark, or E.robusta; and grows in abund- 

 ance near the highest range of forest vegetation at the foot of the perpendi- 

 cular basaltic columns, with a seed-vessel resembling in shape a Grecian urn. 

 All along the same place the beautiful mountain-grass tree with its elegant 

 white spikes is now in full bloom, covering the whole space around. This 

 species of Xanthorrhce'a is different from, and still more elegant than, theRisdon 

 grass tree, so common in sandy places on the Richmond side of the river. 

 Persons fond of ornamenting their gardens with the beautiful shrubs and 

 flowers of this island should not be deterred from transplanting them, under 

 the apprehension that they will not bear removal from the shady situations in 

 which so many of the most elegant are found ; for, when carefully removed 

 with the sward, so as not much to disturb the roots, and watered for a few 

 days, they will often thrive to admiration, shooting their roots with facility 

 through the pulverised and loose soil of the garden, 



" Mr. Sams, we have great pleasure in stating, besides the very valuable 

 collection of plants which he has brought out under his own care, and those 

 which he formerly sent while in England, has established, under the sanction 

 and patronage of the queen, a regular communication with Mr. Aiton of the 

 royal gardens at Kew, from which he will, from time to time, receive such 

 as are still wanting in the colony, and will send home, in return, such indige- 

 nous seeds and plants as, from their beauty or rareness, deserve to be brought 

 under the notice of the intelligent English botanist." (Hobart Town Courier, 

 Oct. 11. 1833.) 



Art. III. Domestic Notices. 



ENGLAND. 



The Botanic Garden, Oxford, seems destined to undergo considerable im- 

 provements. Dr. Daubeny, immediately on being elected professor, had a 

 plan engraved of the garden as it is, and another plan indicating extensive 

 additions and alterations. The additions are, chiefly, the proposed use of the 

 space without the walls (mentioned p, 110.), which had hitherto been turned 

 to little account ; and the alterations are, chiefly, turning the western division 

 of the garden into a place for displaying the natural arrangement, and erecting 

 two green-houses. The plans have been kindly sent to us by Mr. Baxter, and 

 they are accompanied by an Address, dated March 14th, from Dr. Daubeny, 

 to the President and Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians in London, 

 by whom he was elected. From this Address we make the following interest- 

 ing extract : — 



" The Physic Garden comprehends a space of nearly five acres of ground, 



