348 Royle's History of the Botany, S^c, 



phial containing the rooted and growing plant, although plunged in a bed of 

 leaves, the temperature of which was nearly 75°, no taint or flavour was to be 

 perceived. Thus, the vital principle of the plant either prevented the form- 

 ation, or caused the absorption, of any offensive matters, and kept the fluid in 

 a state of perfect purity. The expense will be found greatly diminished by 

 those who will give the plan a fair and impartial trial. 



" Note by the Seci^etary. With reference to the foregoing paper, it is ne- 

 cessary to remark, that there is nothing absolutely new in the discovery that 

 the melon is a plant of amphibious habits. This has been long known, not 

 only from the Persian practice of growing melons on banks of earth be- 

 tween ditches filled with water, but also from the reports of Mr. Moorcroft 

 upon the floating melon beds in the lakes of the valley of Cashmere. The ob- 

 ject of the Council in publishing Mr.Towers's paper is merely to direct attention 

 to this circumstance, by means of the observations of its ingenious author." 



58. On the Management of Bark Beds. By Mr, John Jackson. Read 

 February 18. 1834. 



" I have generally had my bark beds to turn and renew only once in twelve 

 or fourteen months, instead of three or four times a year. My plan is to 

 have the bed riddled over when I turn my pit, and I then add as much fresh 

 tan as is requisite ; I further have about a cart-load of fresh tan, that has 

 been well fermented with yeast for about three weeks or a month beforehand ; 

 I generally put from 5 lb. to 10 lb. of yeast into the above cart-load of 

 tan, observing to keep it in a good shed, or any other covered place, till the 

 great fermentation is over, and then I mix it up in a regular manner all over 

 my bark bed : I never tread the bed hard down ; I only level it, and put upon 

 the top of it as much tan dust as I can easily plunge my pines into. Care, 

 however, should be taken that the bed does not heat too strongly at first by 

 the above method ; I have sometimes had the heat stand at 80° of Fahrenheit 

 for fourteen months within the bed, which is a long period, and may seem 

 improbable to any man till he tries the experiment." 



We should be glad to know from Mr. Jackson what first suggested to him 

 the idea of using yeast ; and from any of our chemical readers we should be 

 glad to have the rationale of its mode of action. Every one knows that 

 yeast is chiefly carbonic acid, and that that substance is a powerful promoter 

 of decomposition, because it enters into combination with almost every thing. 

 Does it operate on the tan by carrying on the decomposition farther than 

 takes place without it ? 



Art. II. Illustrations of the Botany and other Branches of the Na- 

 tural History of the Himalayan Mountains, and of the Flora of 

 Cashmere. By J. Forbes Royle, M.D., F.R.S., &c., &c. Part XL, 

 supplenientary Number. Fol. London, 1840. 205. 



We have here the concluding Number of a work of which too much can 

 hardly be said in its praise. The quantity of matter and plates offered to the 

 public in this part for 20^. may well excite astonishment. There are first 

 titlepages, dedications, &c. to vols. i. and ii. ; next a preface ; then a table 

 of contents ; then a synoptic table of contents, which, with the alphabetical 

 indexes, the author informs us were prepared by Mrs. Royle ; and they do 

 that lady's industry and knowledge of the subjects treated of very great 

 credit. Next follows the completion of the introduction, including the 

 geological features of the Himalayan Mountains ; the meteorology of the 

 plains and mountains of N. W. India ; on the entomology of the Himalayas 

 and of India, by the Rev. W. F. Hope, F.R.S., &c. ; descriptions of insects 

 figured in the plates, by J. O. Westwood, Esq., F.L.S., &c. ; memoir on 

 the mammalogy of the Himalayas, by W, Ogilby, Esq., M.A. ,• list of 



