SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
95 
European beeches. In the American beech the lateral veins were said to 
terminate in the apex of the serratures — in the European they terminate at 
the base of the sinus. He had not read the original paper of De Candolle, 
but abstracts in the scientific serials. As the statement stood, it conveyed 
the idea that there was a marked difference in structure between these two 
allied species which did not, however, exist, as growing in this country the 
leaves of the European beech are almost entire ; the lateral veins, in ap- 
proaching the margin of the leaves, curve upwards, and connect with the 
lateral above them, forming a sort of marginal vein near the outer edge of 
the leaf. The veins of the American beech curve upward in the same way, 
but are early arrested, and this sudden cessation of growth produces the 
serra, which are slightly curved upwards. An early arrestation of growth 
in the veins makes the serratures, and constitutes the only difference between 
the two species. The structural plan is the same in both — the European, 
curving its lateral vein into the apex, reached the upper one — the American 
terminating abruptly. 
Botany of the American S. Pacific Exploration. — We learn from our con- 
temporary the u American Naturalist ” that since the lamented death of Dr. 
Torrey, his report on the Botanical collections made by the naturalist of 
Wilkes’s expedition on our western American coast, has been printed under 
the care of Prof. Gray. It makes the larger part of the 17th volume of the 
results of that expedition, of which, like the rest, only 100 copies are printed 
by Congress. A small number of extra copies have, however, been secured, 
at private expense ; these are bound up with the preceding part of the 
volume, devoted to the Lower Cryptogamia of the expedition (Lichens, 
Algae, and Fungi), and, the large plates being folded and bound in, the whole 
makes a stout royal quarto volume, with twenty-nine plates. The Natura- 
lists’ Agency has this on sale, at ten dollars. The mosses of the same ex- 
pedition by Sullivant, which form the first part of this same volume in the 
government copies, in the extra edition have the letter-press made up into 
imperial folio pages, in double columns, to match the twenty-six great folio 
plates. A very few copies of this handsome volume still remain in the 
hands of the late Mr. Sullivant’s executors, and can be had for ten dollars 
each. 
Poisonous and Innocuous Habits of the Flowers of Wistaria sinensis. — It 
seems that there is a popular belief that the flowers of the Wistaria sinensis 
are d estructive to bees. Mr. Meehan recently stated to the “ Philadelphia 
Academy of Science” that he had himself seen hundreds of dead bees under 
large flowering plants. He was struck with the fact this season, that none 
were dead under similar circumstances. The flowers were continually visited 
by the honey bee, and others, without, so far as he could see, any fatal re- 
sults following. It was clear, therefore, that, whatever might be the cause 
of the death of these insects under some circumstances, it could not be from 
the honey alone. 
A Fly-catching Plant. — Many instances have been afforded — following the 
remarkable facts adduced by Mr. Darwin — of the insectivorous character 
of certain plants. Now Mr. W. W. Bailey has come forward [“American 
Naturalist,” No. 9 vol. viii.] with some remarkable facts concerning# the 
American sweet swamp azalea ( Azalea viscosa ). He says : “ I have been 
