688 General Notices. * 



preferred to carrying it in the pocket. Of course, this little tool may be 

 made of any dimensions, to suit the fancy of the botanist. — W. T. B. 

 Allesley, August 5. 1836. 



In Jig. 109. a represents the spud without the casej i, the spud in its case ; 

 and c, the case open, to show the make and manner of it. 



To preserve Botanical Sjoecimens, Insects, Sfc, it is only necessary to wash 

 them over with the essential oil of cloves ; or, indeed, with any essential 

 oil whatever. (7^?". Macartney, at the Bnstol Association, August, 1836, as 

 given in Literary Gazette, Sept. 3.) Succulent plants may be preserved by 

 enveloping them in a coat of plaster of Paris. (Id., as given in AthencEum, 

 Sept. 3. p. 625.) 



Tigridia Pavonia. — In looking in Gerard's Herbal, I accidentally turned to 

 p. 122. fig. 2., Tigridis flos, which he supposes was a feigned figure sent him 

 of a plant unknown ; and I never knew any with a root as there figured ; but 

 I am disposed to think it was intended for Tigridia Pav6nf«. I have never 

 seen, or heard before, of De Bry's Florilegiiim ; but, as Gerard says it is there 

 figured "much better and more elegant," if any among your numerous readers 

 should have that work, they may find it correspond with the plant much 

 better than his figure does ; and it may be a pleasing satisfaction to some of 

 them to know that such a plant was in cultivation above 200 years ago, a 

 native of Mexico, perhaps then a newly discovered world. If you think this 

 observation worth the public attention, your inserting it in your Magazine 

 will gratify the wish of — Thomas HawJcins. Tirley, Gloucestershire, Oct, 17. 

 1836. 



ARBORICULTURE. 



Age of Yew Trees. — At the Bristol Association, in August, 1836, Mr. Bow- 

 man read a paper on the mode of ascertaining the age of yew trees, by 

 counting the rings and lines of the trunk ; and instanced several experiments 

 which he had made. The mean average of the number of lines that a yew 

 tree increased in a year was 2, or 44 to the inch ; and the result of his ex- 

 periments went to prove that De CandoUe was wrong in his experiments in 

 this respect ; that he luade the old trees too young, and the young ones too 

 old. With respect to the growth of yews in churchyards, many reasons had 

 been assigned for it; but it occurred to him that the longevity, the indigenous 

 nature of the tree, and its being an emblem of immortality, led our forefathers 

 to deck the place of the dead with it, in lieu of the cypress. This was one 

 of the many customs which were engrafted on Christianity at its introduction. 

 — Mr. Rootsey, in allusion to what had been said with regard to the grov.th 

 of yews in churchyards, remarked that the Scotch, Welch, and Latin signifi- 

 cation for a church, was a large circular structure, or what we now call a 

 churchyard ; and therefore it was highly probable there were many yew 

 trees in existence of higher antiquity than the buildings they surrounded. 

 — Professor Henslow said he had come to the conclusion, that one third of 

 the age of De Candolle's oldest trees ought to be struck off"; but in the other 

 particular he did not agree with Mr. Bowman. — None of the speakers 

 alluded to the supposition that the cultivation of yew trees was encouraged 

 by our feudal rulers, to whom the wood was so essential in forming bows for 

 their vassals and retainers. {Literary Gazette, Sept. 3.) An elaborate paper 

 on the yew, by Mr. Bowman, accompanied by engravings, will appear in the 

 Magazine of Natural History for January next. 



Grafting the Celtis on the common Thorn. — However unnatural this union 

 may appear, there is a Celtis australis at Purser's Cross, which is doubtless so 

 grafted. It was pointed out by Lord Ravensworth's gardener to Mr. Scott 

 (formerly gardener to Dr. Neill), in 1834, who saw a thorn sucker growing on 

 the stock. We have not seen these suckers ourselves ; but we perceive 

 nothing in the bark of the stock, which is not above 6 in. high, which would 

 justify us in saying that it is not a thorn. We should be glad if any of our 

 readers would try some scions of any species of Celtis on any species of 



