RUSOT XJSEFUL IN INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE, 
botany is at present making in regard to the 
discovery of new species. 
The order Myrsineae is now placed between 
the orders Sapoteae and Primulaceae, from 
the latter of which it seems to differ in the 
indehiscence of its fruit, and from the former 
by the constant deficiency of stamen alter- 
nating with the lobes of the corolla. This 
order is divided by the author into three tribes, 
j. Aegicereae, with an erect embryo; 2. 
Ardisiae, including the bulk of true Myrsi- 
neae ; 3, Moeseae, wdth an inferior ovarium, 
approaching to primulaceae. 
He has proposed two new genera, Weigel- 
tia and Conomorpha, and a third, Choripe- 
talum, which has not been sufficiently exa- 
mined. The species of this older produce a 
resinous substance, wdiich appears in the 
form of dots or reservoirs, in different parts of 
the plant, chiefly on the leaves, flowers, and 
berries, and also in the hard wood of the 
Myrsine and Aegiceras. It melts and burns 
in tlie flame of a candle, is notsolublein water, 
but is so in oil or alcohol when moderately 
heated, giving to the latter a rose colour, 
These facts were particularly observed in the 
berries of the M. semiserrata. The dots are 
dark or light brown, reddish or yellow, vary- 
ing in size, shape and position, in different 
species. The fruit of Embelia ribes possesses 
a styptic taste, which the author supposes to 
depend on this resinous substance. 
Of 180 species of myrsineae 58 are describ- 
ed for the first time by the author. They 
grow commonly on the hilly and mountainous 
regions of the hottest parts of the globe. None 
have yet been found beyond the 39th or 40th 
degree of latitude, viz. in Japan, whilst they 
abound in Java and in some parts of India 
and South America. No species is known in 
Africa except at the Cape and at the Canary 
Islands, Mauritius, Bourbon and Madagas- 
car. The 180 species are distributed as fol- 
lows : 112 in Asia and New Holland, 48 in 
America and 20 in Africa. 
Mr. Don, in his paper, shews that the form 
of aestivation of the corolla is of great import- 
ance as a character to distinguish different fa- 
milies, especially among the monopetalous 
orders, except in the order Rubiaceae, where 
examples of every kind of modification occur. 
In the Cinchona grandiflora and rosea it is 
imbricate, in C lanceolata and the rest of the 
true cinclmnae it is valvate, while in the 
VVestIndian species it is in duplicate and in 
the Cexefsa plaited. Of the genus cinchona 
he enumerates seventeen tiue species, 2. 
Combuena, (C grandiflora) two species ; 
obtusifolia a.r\d uciminati ; 3. Lasionema (C 
rosea) rosenm. ; 4. Exostema, seven species; 
5. Hyrnenodictyon (C excelsa) excelsum and 
thyrsijiorum. ; 6. Luculia gratissima and 
cuneifolia ; 7. Pinckneya pubens. 
DON’S OBSERv'aTION ON THE 
T RO P A E 0 L U M P E Nl’ A P H Y LL U M 
OF LAMARCK. — The other paper of Mr. 
Don is upon the Tropaeolum pentaphyllum 
of Lamarck, which has been introduced into 
this coi’.ntry by Mr. Neil of Edinburgh. He 
shews that it differs from the genus Tro- 
paeolum in having the aestivation of its calyx 
valvate, that of Trapaeolum being imbricate. 
In the nature of its fruit, which is a black 
juicy berry resembling the Zante grape, and 
in the reduced number of its petals. He has 
formed it into a new genus, and terms it 
Chymocarpus pentaphyllus. Its calyx is per- 
sistent, while that of 'rropaeolum is decidu- 
ous. The embryo is small and white, con- 
tained in a thin cartilaginous testa, and the 
cotyledons round and compressed. It be- 
longs to the natural order Tropaeoleae, and 
is a native of the s indy plains of Buenos 
Ayres. It was first observed by Commerson, , 
and afterwards by Tweedie. 1 
MR. ROYLE HAS ENDEAVOURED 
TO IDENTIFY THE PLANT TERMED 
LYClUM BY piOSO RIDES.— The ly- 
cium of Asia Minor he considers may be 
made from the Rhamus infectoriiis, or differ- 
ent species of Rhamnus, or the BeiberisvuL 
garis. The lyciiim of India, again, he identi- 
fies with the produce of the Berberis aristata^ 
occurring on Choor mountain, 6000 to SOOO' 
feet high, called in Arabic Amburbarees, in 
Persian Zirishk, the Wood darkhuld and 
darchob, the extract hooziz, the hill name 
being chitrach, and also with the extract ob- 
tained from the B lycium growing at Mus- 
sooree, 3000 to 5000 feet of elevation, called 
Kushmul, the extract rusot. 
This rusot can be procured in every bazar 
in India, and is used by the native practi- 
tioners in chronic and acute inflammations of 
tlie eye, both simply and combined with alum 
and opium. It was employed by Mr. 
M‘Dowell in the Egyptian ophthalmia, and 
JMr. Royle has applied it with beneficial 
effects in cases succeeding acute inflamma- 
tion. The extract is rubbed to a proper con- 
sistence w'ith a little water, sometimes with 
opium and alum and is then applied in thick 
layer over the swollen eyelids. The addition 
of a little oil renders the preparation less 
desiccative. 
It is mentioned in the Rhikhzun-ool-ud- 
wieh, (store house for medicines) under the 
name of /oo/yon, which is obviously the same 
as lookyon of the Greeks. Dioscordies des- 
cribes it as being formed from a shrub called 
Lonchitis, which is thorny, and has branches 
three oi more cubits in length, whose bark, 
when bruised, becomes of a reddish colour 
and whose leaves resemble those of the olive. 
In these respects Mr. Royle’s plant agrees 
with that of Dioscoiides. Indeed we have 
rarely seen a more plausible deduction from 
etymology than is exhibited in the present 
instance. It is to be regretted, however, that 
the rusot has not yet found its way into che- 
mical hands. 
COMPARATIVE ANATOMY, &c.'-~ 
Mr. Yarrell describes the organs of voice 
in the Cygnus huccinatur, a new species of 
swan, figured by Dr. Richardson, from the 
interior of the fur countries of North Ameri- 
ca. I’his species, which is called the Trum- 
peter, furnishes the largest portion of the 
supply of swan skins imported by the Hud- 
son’s Bay Company. Its beak is black ; 
trachea is made up of narrow bony rings and 
