Botany. 



163 



raatic collection of observations showing the rate of growth of diiferent 

 kinds of trees is needed in India. 



Botanic Garden, Calcutta. — Dr Anderson's Report of the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens Calcutta, during the past official year, appears in the 

 Calcutta Gazette. The planting out of the groups of natural orders was 

 commenced last rainy season. Two specimens of all the species of a con- 

 siderable number of orders were placed in their proper sites. The 

 botanical name and native country of the plant, painted on a large 

 zinc label screwed down on an iron rod of about two feet high, w^ere placed 

 near the best developed specimen of each species. 2500 seedlings of 

 mahogany were reared for planting along the portion of the Ganges and 

 Darjeeling Road between Titalyah and the foot of the Himalayas. Three 

 hundred seedlings of Polyalthia. longifolia were prepared for forming an 

 avenue along the Circular Road in Calcutta. Six hundred and eighty 

 plants of Diospyros emhryopteris were supplied for planting along the 

 banks of the Circular Canal. Of the fifteen Wardian cases, each with 

 150 Cinchona plants obtained from Ootacamund, four were sent to Dr 

 Jameson at Saharunpore, and eleven were obtained by private individuals 

 for experimental cultivation on tea estates Four hundred and twenty 

 plants were added to the stock in the Darjeeling Nursery. Planters should 

 remember that the only time the introduction can be attempted with any 

 hope of success, is from 15th November to 15th February. The tedious 

 duty of arranging the Herbarium, commenced by Dr Thomson in 1856, 

 is about half completed ; and, as two European botanists have been 

 appointed for the work, it will be finished in four years. Dr Thomson's 

 botanical library was purchased for the gardens for L.300. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Letter from Mr Robert Brown, Botanist and Collector to the British 

 Columbia Association of Edinburgh, dated Victoria, Vancouver's 

 Island, July 24, 1863. — When I had last the honour of communicating 

 with you, I was about to sail for Alberni. After being delayed for 

 several days both in Victoria and Barclay Sound, I arrived there on 

 the 28th May, and received a very warm reception from the little 

 community, and excellent accommodation in a large house belonging 

 to Messrs Anderson and Company. On the 3d June I started in a little 

 schooner, the Codfish, manned by two men, bound on a trading expedi- 

 tion with the Indians along the coast, and which I considered a good 

 opportunity of visiting various places which otherwise I would have 

 no opportunity of botanising over. We cruised cautiously along the 

 coast, visiting and trading with the savages; while I pursued my re- 

 searches on shore for nearly a fortnight. In this way we visited or 

 traded with members of the Opischesats, Shesats, Ouchleclous-ets, Oh-i- 

 ats, Uclul-u-ets, Toquats, Clay-o-quots, Ah-ous-ats, Mam-ous-ats, Kel- 

 simats, Ash-quots, Nuchlachlets, Eh-ut-usets, Kaioquots — all little tribes, 

 mutually hating, and frequently at war with each other. But the most 

 famous tribe and locality which I visited was the Nootkas, in Nootka 

 Sound — a tribe which had been traded with by no white man since the 

 murder of Captain Sta last January. I was particularly anxious to visit 

 Nootka, as this was the locality visited by Cook, La Perouse, Meares, 

 Vancouver, and also Menzies, who collected here the few plants he had 

 from this part. Though it is not my intention to describe particularly 

 the botany of the localities I visited, as the absence of books and speci- 

 mens for reference must make an account most imperfect and uncertain, 



