S30 HORTICULTURAL TOUK. 



against the windows, preceded the rain, which fell in heavy 

 drops, but lasted only a short time. The sun now became 

 obeourftd, and day seemed converted into night. Mr Par- 

 mentier having ordered wine, his lady came to explain that 

 she could not prevail on any of the servants to venture 

 across the court to the cellar. The Mayor, in spite of our 

 remonstrances, immediately undertook the task himself; 

 and when, upon his return, we apologised for putting him 

 to so much trouble, he assured us that he would not on 

 any account have lost the brilliant sight he had enjoyed, from 

 the incessant explosions of the electric fluid, in the midst of 

 such palpable darkness. Such a scene, he added, had not 

 occurred at Enghien for many years; and we reckoned 

 ourselves fortunate in having witnessed it. We had to re- 

 main housed for more than two hours ; when the great 

 cloud began to clear away, and to give promise of a serene 

 and clear evening. 



During the continuance of the storm, Mr Parmentier 

 entertained us, by producing several valuable continental 

 publications, connected with botany and horticulture, some 

 of which we had not before seen, and which we now turn- 

 ed over by candle-light. He likewise permitted us to ex- 

 amine a MS. catalogue of his collection of living plants, 

 which he purposes soon to send to the press. His great 

 object in publishing it, is to facilitate exchanges of rare 

 plants, with foreign amateur cultivators ; his catalogue 

 showing what he possesses, and may probably be able to 

 send to others, and of course indicating at the same time 

 his own desiderata. Hut he has contrived to render it 

 otherwise useful. By means of abbreviations, he points 

 out, in a single line, the Linnean class of the plant; its 

 native country ; its general nature, whether woody, peren- 

 nial, biennial, or annual ; the temperature which it requires, 



