SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
423 
Jardin des Plantes, at Paris, where a few good subjects are now being 
reared. This tree only bears blossoms at the very top, so that to get at its 
flowers, its discoverer, M. Labillardiere (in 1792), was obliged to have one 
cut down. The circumference of the base was about 90 feet, and 65 
feet at the height of five feet from the ground ; its total altitude was 
300 feet, and the section presented upwards of 800 concentric rings. The 
wood is extremely hard, and used as timber for ship-building purposes, 
dykes and piers at Hobart Town, and the leaves emit a delightful per- 
fume. In 1860, Dr. Muller sent over some seeds of this tree to the French 
Minister of Marine, who immediately dispatched them to M. Hardy, the 
director of the nursery at Algiers ; and there is every reason to believe 
that this remarkable and beautiful tree will be acclimatized in France, or, 
at least, in Algeria. 
The Mistletoe. — A correspondent, Mr. Birschel, of Liverpool, referring to 
the paper on this subject by Mrs. Lankester, in the last number of the 
“Popular Science Review',” states that having been brought up in a 
country abounding in forests of black fir and pine (the Vosges mountains), 
he thinks the statement that the “ instances of the mistletoe attacking the 
coniferce are very rare” should be modified. The parasite abounds in 
these forests, and people make a livelihood by gathering it at certain 
seasons, as food for cattle ; but while it is to be frequently found on the 
black fir, he states that he has never seen it upon the pine. It is more 
common upon old and stately trees than upon young or dwarfish 
individuals. 
Raphides in British Plants. — Mr. Gulliver, F.R.S., after an examination 
of many hundred British Phanerogamic plants, found raphides in the fol- 
lowing, while in a much larger number of others they w'ere not detected. 
In many other orders not here noticed they were looked for, but not found. 
Caryopliyllacece ; in Silene armeria. Onagraceie ; raphides are characteristic 
of this order, and serve to distinguish it from the allied orders, Lythracese and 
Haloragese. Rubiacece ; common in the genera Sherardia, Asperula, and 
Galium. Composite ; raphides less common here than other forms of crystals 
but they are found in the subdivisions, Corymbiferfc, Cynarocephakc, and 
Cichoracese. Dioscoreacece ; found in black bryony ( Tamus) . Orcliidacece ; 
abundant in all the plants examined. Iridacece ; in Iris psevdacorm. Liliaceoe; 
Endymion nutans, abundant in all parts of the plant, but not found in, 
bear garlick ( Allium ursinum). Typhacete ; in sparganium, but not in 
Typlia. Aracece ; abundant in Arum maculatum. Lemnacece ; abundant 
in Lemna trisidca ; scanty in Lemnci polyrldza and L. gibba. In con- 
clusion, Mr. Gulliver remarks that the abundance of raphides of phosphate 
of lime in Lemna minor (or common duck- weed), associated with quan- 
tities of starch granules, point out that despised and abject weed as a most 
valuable one to be used as a highly fertilizing manure. 
Fruiting of the Oak. — M. Alphonse de Candolle calls attention to a new 
character in the oak ; viz., that certain oaks ripen their fruit at the end of 
the first year, while others do so in the course of the following year. For 
half a century this character has been neglected; and it has just been found 
that under the name of Quercus suber (cork oak) two species have been 
confounded, — one with annual, and the other with biennial fruit. Although, 
