HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 371 



With regard to the proper season for pruning, I consider the fall and 

 early portion of winter the best. Immediately on the fall of the leaf is 

 undoubtedly the most advantageous to the plant, as the sap stored up 

 in the buds during winter, is economized and hastens the growth during 

 the following seasons: a desideratum of much importance both with the 

 foreign and native grapes in cultivation. William Saunders, 



Dec, 7, 1854. Landscape Gardener, Grermantown. 



DR. LEIDY'S FLORA AND FAUNA WITHIN LIVING ANIMALS. 



It appears from an article in the "Florist and Horticultural Journal," 

 published in the L T nited States, that we had inadvertently given great offence 

 by our review of the work above mentioned. On a reperusal of that review 

 we find it very difficult to conceive why it has been taken in such bad part, 

 and the more especially as our object in writing it was to induce those per- 

 sons who had already purchased Dr. Robin's work, which has had a very 

 large sale in England, to add to their libraries the work of Dr. Leidy, as 

 containing information not to be found in Robin ; and we were the more 

 desirous of recommending it, because the only remuneration, as far as we 

 believe, which the authors of communications to the Smithsonian Institution 

 can look to, is the sale of the copies which are placed at their disposal by 

 the society. 



The passage which is more particularly called in question stands as follows. 

 " It may be true that it does not contain much which may not be found in 

 Robin's second edition of his admirable work on those fungals which grow 

 on animals ; but the illustrations are in some instances far more complete, 

 and well worth the attention of every botanist and physiologist who may 

 chance to be interested in the subject. We would point out more especially 

 the plates which represent the curious parasites which infest the intestines 

 of different species of Julus, and the several entozoa which live in their com- 

 pany ; for though the principal of them are not overlooked by Robin, there 

 is nothing in his plates as regards these particular productions which can 

 for a moment be compared with Dr. Leidy 's copious and excellent figures." 

 Now, what "remarkable errors " or "perversions" are contained in the 

 above passage we cannot conceive. 



There is no question whatever as to the originality of the observations of 

 Dr. Leidy, a question altogether beyond the scope of our journal, which aims 

 at little more in its reviews than an indication of the sources from whence 

 trustworthy information can be obtained; and the whole tendency of the 



