590 Whether Lightning Rods attract Lightning. 



et Chilensis Prodromus,' and contains descriptive characters and 

 illustrative figures of their new genera. This was followed in 1798, 

 by the first volume of the ' Flora Peruviana et Chilensis,' two other 

 volumes of which, extending as far as the class Octandria of the Lin- 

 nsean system, were published in 1799 and 1802. The plates of a 

 fourth volume, as well as many others intended for subsequent publi- 

 cation, were also prepared. In 1798 also was published the first 

 volume of a smaller work without figures, entitled ' Systema Vege- 

 tabilium Florae Peruvianas et Chilensis,' containing characters of all 

 their new genera and of the species belonging to them, as well as of 

 all the other species described in the first volume of their * Flora/ 



Of the immense collections made by Ruiz and Pavon and other 

 botanists in the Spanish possessions in America, a large portion was 

 purchased by Mr. Lambert between the years 1817 and 1824. 

 These were dispersed at the sale of his Herbarium in 1842 ; but a 

 part of them was then obtained for the British Museum, where they 

 are now deposited. Little is known of the latter years of Pavon ; 

 his correspondence with Mr. Lambert appears to have ceased in 

 1824, and even the exact date of his death has not been ascertained. 

 — The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Vol. 14, No. 91. 



Whether Lightning Rods attract Lightning. 



[Erom an interesting work by Snow Harris Esq., F.R.S. on the protection afforded by Light- 

 ning Rods to ships of H. M. Navy.] 



" Amongst the objections made to the employment of lightning 

 rods, there appears to have been none so popular, and at the same 

 time so plausible, as this, viz., that by setting up pointed conduc- 

 tors we invite lightning to our buildings, which otherwise would 

 not fall on them ; that should the quantity of electricity discharged 

 be greater than the rod can carry off, the redundant quantity must 

 necessarily act with destructive violence ; and that since we can 

 never know the quantity of electricity which may be accumulated 

 in, and be discharged from the clouds, it is not improbable but that 

 any conductor which we can conveniently apply may be too small for 

 the safe conveyance of such a charge. 



