' 
ON RECENT RESEARCHES IN THE DIATOMACES. 149 
It is the extreme closeness of the grass under consideration to the 
Tans species, which, though it “ affords an excellent grain, somewhat 
resembling rice, which was in very general use among the ans, espe- 
cially of those tribes living in the vicinity of the great lakes, na Tu never, 
I suppose, been used otherwise, which leads me to think the identification 
of the source of the Chinese "piena may be of some interest and im- 
portance to American gardene For I can scarcely doubt that Hydro- 
pyrum esculentum will yield a pénis identical in size and flavour with 
that of the plant to which it is so intimately allied ; and I invite the 
attention of the skilful horticulturists of the United States to this grass, 
in the belief that it is likely to repay the trouble of expe erimental cultiva- 
tion. Our American cousins are, as a rule, fonder, and I think better 
connoisseurs of vegetables than we English, ‘and habitually like a larger 
choice of them at their meals. the above remarks should fortunately 
ead to the introduction of a new,—and as I and many others think, 
exceptionally delicate and choice one,—to their tables, I shall feel but 
too happy to have been instrumental in calling their attention to it. 
trust, also, du be successful in sending home iving specimens of the 
Asiatic species, which, from the temperature of its native localities, 
would unquestionably readily become naturalized in the la kes and marshes 
of Northern and Central Europe; and supply, without requiring any par- 
ticular care, or encroaching on the ground occupied by other crops, a 
wholesome and acceptable article of food. 
RECENT RESEARCHES IN THE DIATOMACEA. 
By tHe Rev. EUGENE O'Meara, M.A. 
JI. 
bs subject of the former notice of Dr. Pfitzer's useful T instructive 
ructure of the external silicious e epiderm of the Diato- 
his bject cet fail to 
of it will 
interest the most experi | p is fer. 
be quite new to those who have been satisfied with a superfici p 
tion of the most obvious ch 
se is to convey to my readers t 
: h 
as not received the attentio s. : ar 
who confine their attention to frustules which have been treated with acid ; 
Bot. 660 (Philad. 1847). 
t The ae ‘emperor ures for te four seasons, as deduced from digne get or 
fourteen years’ observa at Worezinskoi Sawod, which is a pba ae 
bip the plant was first gathe ered by Turczaninow, and at Peking, 
, are as nearly as <= 
Spring. Summer. Autumn. Tu 
Nerczinskoi Sawod. . + > Lia a i = 
dene "d nf. Maximowicz, Prim. Fl. Amur. ins t 
Co 
peg ed eo orae — of Plants, 788), H. esculentum has been acclimated 
in England and 
