EXTRACTS.— NATURAL HISTORY. 665 
CLASS II.— MONOCOTYLEDONES, OR ENDOGENES. 
ORCHIDEjE. 
Hermi'nium coed'atum. Heart-leaved Herminium. Flowers small, and of 
a yellowish green colour. Native of the north-west of Africa, and the south- 
west of Europe. Link and Brotero have found it in Portugal. Spalzinann col- 
lected specimens on shady hills near Tangier ; and the Rev. Mr. Lowe found it 
on walls and rocks in Madeira. Culture. — This plant grows very well in the 
greenhouse, but requires a little more heat in November (its flowering season) 
and seems to flower the best when set in a cool part of the stove (Bof. Reg.) 
potted in a mixture of loam, peat, and sand. 
Maxill^aeia vi'ridis. Green Maxillaria. Flowers green and purple. Na- 
tive of Rio Janeiro, whence it was sent by the late Sir Henry Chamberlain. — 
Culture. — It is rather a weak growing plant, requiring shade, much moisture to 
its leaves, and little to its roots, together with a high temperature and decayed 
vegetable mould. It seems to have no tendency to form those pseudo-bulbs 
which are generally so characteristic of the genus. — Bot. Reg. 
ASPHODELEiE. 
AsPHOD^ELUs LUTEUS VAR. SiBiEicus. — Siberian yellow Asphodel. Flowers 
paler yellow than those of A. luteus. Introduced by Dr. Fischer. Culture. — It 
requires to be treated precisely in the same way as A. luteus. — Ed. Bot. Reg. 
lEIDE^. 
Crocus eeticulatus. — Netted Crocus. Flowers rich orange and velvet. 
Native of Caucasus. Introduced in 1830 by Mr. Steven. Culture. — It is ex- 
ceedingly hardy, and the limbs increase themselves by ofisets, and will grow in 
any good garden soil. — Bot. Cat. 
On Forcing Ca'mellias. — Take the plants as soon as they are out of flower, 
and shift them by taking some of the old mould off the ball and adding some 
rich compost, such as is used for pines, then place them in the stove. The sud- 
den transition from cold to heat, causes them to throw out young wood directly, 
and as soon as flower buds appear, remove them back to the greenhouse till July, 
then set them out of doors, as much in the shade as possible ; by this simple pro- 
cess, a succession of flowers may be kept up from November until the following 
May. Plants when once early excited, appear to look for it the same season 
again ; people in possession of a quantity of pots, should not wait for many to- 
gether, but shift them progressively as they go out of flower. — T. Blake. — 
Hort. Trans. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
The Habits of the Common Snake, (Co'luber Na'trix,) as evinced in 
Captivity. I have been trying to domesticate a common Snake, and make it 
familiar with me and my children, but all to no purpose. It was a most beautiful 
creature, only two feet seven inches long. I did not know how long it had been 
