BAARL6M. 19^ 



tints ; but none of them, so far as we noticed, surpassing 

 in beauty the native colour of the flower. As at Antwerp, 

 seedling Dahlias, which had been sown this year, were al- 

 ready in flower ; but Mr Schneevogt possesses only two or 

 three sorts of double dahlia ; and Mr Smetz's collection re- 

 mains the finest we have seen. — A small stove for tropical 

 plants was enlivened by several very showy flowers. The 

 Yucca-flowered Amaryllis (A. ornata) had been in splen- 

 did bloom, but was on the decay ; while Columnea hirsu- 

 ta was beginning to expand its large variegated blossoms, 

 and was finely contrasted with the rich scarlet of nume- 

 rous plants of Cyrilla pulchella *. 



Mr Schneevogt invited us into his house, and shewed us 

 a part of his botanical and horticultural library, which we 

 found to be rich in German publications that are little 

 known to the gardeners and orchardists of Scotland. We 

 had the satisfaction, in particular, to see the extensive perio- 

 dical work of J. B. Sickler, of which twenty-two volumes 

 in octavo were published between 1794 and 1804, under 

 the title of " Teutsche Obstgartner." At this period, Mr 

 Sickler changed the form and title of his publication ; and, 

 under the name of " Allgemeines Teutsch-garten Maga- 

 zin," eight successive volumes in quarto came out ; when 

 the great war, which agitated the whole of Europe, occa- 

 sioned the discontinuance of this useful work. Again, 

 since the restoration of peace and order, has this indefati- 

 gable horticulturist commenced his labours ; and the con- 



* In a tanners-bark pit which the workmen were clearing out, we saw se- 

 veral hundred specimens of the Stag-beetle (Lucanus cervus L.), in all the 

 stages of its existence and metamorphoses, — in the state of eggs, caterpil- 

 lars, larvae, and perfect beetles. This formidable-looking insect sometimes 

 occurs in England, and is the largest of the coleoptera found there : it has 

 not, we believe, been observed in Scotland. 



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