H 



The West American Scientist. 



above, is the principle sj^ecies. It requires a sandy soil, o(:)od 

 drainage, and very careful supplies of water. It is usually grown 

 from seeds, which germinate freely in moderate heat. It is very 

 rare, and found in few collections. 



P. pectinata, also cjuite rare, differs slightly in structure. A 

 monstrosity of this is given in the horticultural name of P. pecti- 

 nata var. cristata, and as usual with malformations of any plant, 

 are exceedingly rare. 



LEUCHTENBERGIA. 



Another very inter- 

 esting genus, in a 

 botanical point of 

 view, is Leuchtenber- 

 gia, of which the prin- 

 cipal characters known 

 to me are shown in 

 the accompanying fig- 

 ure of, I believe, the 

 only species. The 

 flowers are of a rich, 

 clear yellow tint. 



Mexican genus, 



PFEIFFERA 



This 

 named in honor ot the 

 noted naturalist, Pfeil- 

 Leuchtcnbergia Pidncipis. fer, contains but a 



single species, with triangular or quadrangular stems and white 

 rose-tinted flowers. It is named P. cereiformis, from its some- 

 what resembling a cereus. C. R. Orcutt. 



Attention is called to the great variety in the table of contents of 

 The Ccntitry for January. Its subjects embrace an authoritative 

 account of the formation of Lincoln's Cabinet in the history by 

 the President's piiva^e secretaries, with many unpublished letters; 

 Mr. Kennan's startling record of personal investigations of 

 ' Russian Provincial Prisons;' Professor Atwater's valuable and 

 practical paper on the ' Pecuniary Economy of Food;' an illus- 

 trated article on ' The Catacombs of Rome,' by the Rev. Dr. 

 Philip Schaff; in art and literature a critique and personal sketch 

 of John Ruskin by Mr. Stillman, with an excellent portrait for the 

 frontispiece of the number; in sport ' An Elk-Hunt on the Plains,' 

 by Schwatka, with drawings by the younger Inness ; in travel 

 ' The Upper Missouri and the Great Falls ' by E. V. Smalley, 

 (illustrated); and many other interesting articles. 



