grew older, its flowers opened with less intensity of 
colour, till they became a muddy and an imperfect 
imitation of their former beauty. It has been said 
that this plant is less luxuriant in growth than its 
congener, the yellow variety, but we observe no dif- 
ference in this respect. Our plant is strong and 
rambling, eight feet across. 
Had Linneus’s daughter never seen but this new 
variety, we think, she had never interested the 
world, by making known her dis covey of flashing 
light or electric sparks, issuing from the flowers of 
Tropceolus majus, at evening twilight, and a little 
before sun-rise. This has been mentioned over and 
over again, and some persons have thought it really 
to be the case, whilst others have considered it an 
optical illusion, produced by the brilliant colour of 
the flowers. Dr. Darwin notices this phenomenon. 
“Ere thebright star which leads the morning sky, 
Hangs o’er the East his blushing eye, 
The chaste Tropae leaves her secret bed, 
A saint-like glory trembles round her head ; 
O’er her fair form the electric lustre plays, 
And cold she moves amid the lambent blaze.” 
As Linneus himself saw these scintillations, it is 
not to be disputed but some peculiar effect is occa- 
sionally produced ; but we have not been so fortu- 
nate as to witness it. 
The single Nasturtium, though perennial in Peru, 
is propagated here in spring as an annual, and as 
such it is quite successful. Early flowers may be 
raised by autumn sowing, with winter protection. 
The single as well as the double variety may be per- 
petuated by cuttings, assisted by a greenhouse. 
Hort.Kew. 2, v. 2, 339. 
