SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
423 
the Blue Ridge, Georgia to Norl-h Carolina, and northward.” In 1859 
Gray limited it to ^^Blue Ridge, Virginia, west of Charlottesville, and south- 
ward.” In 1863, he adds, on the authority of Prof. Porter, ‘Ghe mountains 
of Pennsylvania, &c.” In 1867 the same author gives a new locality near 
Reading, Pa., which was discovered by Thomas Meehan. Unless the above 
statement of Prof. Porter be taken in a pretty wide light, we have in none 
of these limits assigned anything like an indication as to how common the 
ti’ee is in Pennsylvania. Thus far, says Mr. Rothrock, “ I have found it 
ranging from the banks’of the Juniata River, in Mission County, Pa., to 
Penn’s Valley, in Centre County, Pa. In the latter place it is extremely 
common, and often forms the largest portion of the woods. The trees, too, 
attain a height of fifty and, perhaps I may add, not seldom sixty feet.” 
Variation in Sarracenia. — An American botanist has observed some in- 
teresting varieties of colour in this plant. The deep purple in some of these 
specimens was entirely absent, the scape sepals and stigma were of a light 
apple green, and the petals were of a pale yellow. 
Examiner in Botany at Cambridge, — We have much pleasure in stating 
that during the past quarter the examinership in botany for the Natural 
Science Tripos has been given to Dr. J. 13. Hooker, F.R.S. 
The Royal Botanic Society of London. — Some time since this Society was 
alleged by one of our contemporaries to have more regard for funds than for 
science. Its annual report recently published is evidently a yiece justificative. 
It states that during the season free orders of admission to the gardens for 
study have been granted to 200 students and artists, and 10,653 specimens 
of plants have been given to professors and lecturers at the principal hos- 
pitals, schools of art and medicine. The maintenance of the portion of the 
garden devoted to educational purposes is, of course, a considerable item in 
the Society’s expenditure, and for which it receives no return except such as 
is common to all public benefactors. The collection of living economic 
plants now contains specimens of all the spices and condiments in domestic 
use, most of the tropical esculent fruits, many of those from which furniture 
and other woods are obtained, the principal gums and medicinal products, 
and the poison trees of Brazil and Madagascar. 
Three new Species of Boswellia were described by Dr. Birdwood at the late 
meeting of the British Association at Exeter, or rather the secretary gave a 
slight sketch of them, for by some mishap the author’s paper was not in the 
secretary’s hands. The three species had been discovered near Arabia, and 
cuttings had been sent to Bombay, and were thriving plants, although as 
yet without flowers. 
Oats as Protein-yielding Plants. — Herr Dr. Kreusler has a paper on this 
subject in the Journal fiXr praldische Chemie (No. 9). He found that the 
protein compound was extracted from the coarse oatmeal by means of 
alcohol of ordinary strength — 80 per cent. He states the composition of the 
pure substance to be in 100 parts — C. 52’59, H. 7*65, N. 17-71, 8.1*66, 
O. 20-39. 
The Nutrition of Plants. — In a paper lately laid before the Society of 
Sciences of Gottingen Herr W. Wicke communicated some results of re- 
searches upon the nutrition of plants. He had been experimenting on plants 
with phosphate of ammonia, hippuric acid, glycine, and creatine. He con- 
