284 
TRANSACTIONS. OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY. 
scientific men should abstain from giving 
currency to such monstrous improbabilities 
unaccompainied by refutation or explana- 
toi y remark. It would be far better to con- 
tinue the inquiry into the cause, either of 
the fact or of the error, and abstain from 
publication until some satisfactory infor- 
mation had been obtained. 
THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE LIN- 
NEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON, 
vol. xvii. 
The contents of this portion of the Transac- 
tions are, 
A commentary on the fourth part of the 
Hortus Malabaricus. By (the late) Francis 
Hamilton, M. D. &c. 
Memoir on the degree of selection exer- 
cised by plants, with regard to the earthy 
constituents presented to their absorbing sur- 
faces. By Charles Daubeny, M. I). &:c. 
Review of the order of Hydrophylleae. 
By George Bentham, Esq. &c. 
On Diopsis, a genus of Dypterous In- 
sects, with descriptions of twenty-one species. 
By J. O. Westwood, Esq. &c. 
The fact that about two-thirds of the half 
volume now before us are occupied with the 
fourth part of Dr. Hamilton’s Commentary, 
which, however valuable, has already obtained 
Its full share of the pages of the Linnean Tran- 
sactions, must excite regret in those who are 
desirous for the prosperity of this very res- 
pectable Society, that its moderate funds 
should be thus drained, when a contribution 
from the ample means which it is well known 
the author possessed, could have so readily 
dispensed with this burden. 
The object of the commentary is to remove 
the discordances in the nomenclature of In- 
dian botany, particularly with regard to the 
adaptation of the native to the scientific names. 
The difficulties attending such an attempt are 
very numerous and complicated; because the 
native names are often indiscriminately applied 
to various species, when the latter approach 
each other in character or quality ; and, in the 
east, where the vegetable kingdom is ransack- 
ed in all departments for the purpose of sup- 
plying a materia medica to the native physi- 
cians, these obstacles become more multifarious 
and perplexing than in more civilized parts of 
the earth, where, however, it may be alleged 
that the physical properties of plants are un- 
dervalued. Dr. Hamilton is inclined to con- 
sider the native names properly applied as ex- 
hibited in the following columns, which we 
have drawn up for the benefit of our friends 
in India, where our Journal is already 
perused ; 
Manoa domestica 
Calappa sylvesiris 
Myrisiica Malal)arica 
Bariinsjtonia raceiiiosa 
Stravadium acutaii«uluin 
Holiyarna lonsiifolia 
Tenninalia, or i 
Myrobalanus ' 
lluuiphia tilicefulia 
Taiia 
Man?o Man, or Mau 
Ada luatarn 
Paiiein palka 
Samstravadi 
Tsjeiia Samstravadi 
Katoii Tsjeiou 
Taui 
Tsjeui Taui 
Limpnia moiiophylla ? 
Uaiidia viiosa 
Liitioiiia acidissima 
Valeria Indica 
Laiisiiim ? 
Alaiiuiiim decapetalutn 
Hamiltoiiia? 
Sapindus emarginatus 
Duahanaa Soimeratoides 
Laijerstroemia hirsula 
Eieocarpiis perincaia 
Mimusnps Uexandia ? 
Alaiiiiiuiii tiiiiieiuosuui 
Theka lei iiifolia 
VVebeia corymbosa 
Clerodeiidrnm seiratiim 
Cyiiomeira ramiflora 
Ithiis Odina 
<^aru!ra piiinata, 
Scliiuus Salieria? 
,, Niara 
Papyrius, or f 
Broussoneiia^ "“egrifolia 
Vitex leiicoxyloii 
Cordia ? 
Calophylluin iiiophyiluin ? 
» calaba? 
Ceiiis orieiitalis 
Ainboieiisis 
Ceiiis Acala 
Zizypliiis Mauritiana 
Melaslnina aspera 
,, Malabathrica ? 
A viceiiiiia Oepaia 
Oueitarda ? 
Saiiiyda Canziaia 
,, piscicida 
>> glabra 
? 
Sapium Indicam 
Melia iiitegerrima 
Camuiiium Beugeleuse 
Heigera iiitegei rirna 
Olea dioica 
Aoyneja mnllilocularis 
Pbjsaiis Sugmida 
Aiilidesiiia Zeylanica 
,, paiiiculaia 
Calicarpa ? 
Azalea 1 
Scaevola laccada 
,, lobelia i 
„ Modauani $ 
Sterciiiia giittaia ) 
,, Balaiiglias f 
Mai naregam 
Cam naregam 
Tsjerouratou naregam 
Paeiioe, Baenu 
Nyalel 
Aiigolain, or Alangi 
Idou Moulli 
Poeriiisii 
Du)al)anga Adamboe 
Catou Adamboe ? 
Peril! Cara 
Maiiil Cara 
Dliela 
riieka 
Katon Theka 
Tsjerou Theka 
Iripa 
Kalesjam 
Cam calesjam 
Ben Calesjiim 
Niyar 
Poiiga 
Karil 
Vidi maram 
Poniia 
Tsjerou poiiiia 
Mallani Toddaii 
Tilayi 
Acata 
Perim Toddal 
Kadali 
Katou Kadali 
Oepata 
Rava Pou 
Kanjiala, Anavinga 
Kouijal 
Loiiajang 
Coroiidi 
Bengiri, Hurinayi 
Ana Bepou 
Bepu 
Ban Kongeha 
Kari Vetti 
Pee Velli 
Sugunda 
Noeli Tali 
Amri 
Poutaleisje 
Modagain 
I accada 
Bella? 
Rameiia Pua or 
Pou Maram? 
According to Hamilton, the Vateria Indica 
produces the gum anime which Dr. Roxburgh 
says is termed in commerce, East Indian Co- 
pal. Schindler tells us that there are three 
kinds of Copal : 1. The East Indian, or Afri- 
can Copal, is the brightest and softest, and 
affords the best varnish. It is sometimes call- 
ed ball copal. 2. The second variety is call- 
ed West Indian or American Copal, being 
derived from the Antilles, Mexico, and North 
America, and is procured, according to Mar- 
tins and Hayne, from different species of 
Hymenea, Trachylohhim, and Vouapa. It is 
termed stone copal, and is yellower than the 
preceding kind. It comes to us in hard, flat 
pieces, weighing dbout three ounces. It is 
less easily melted than the preceding variety, 
and seldom contains insects. 3. The third 
variety is also termed West Indian copal, but 
might be mistaken for the first species, as it oc- 
curs in the form of convexo-concave pieces, 
eight ounces in weight. Taste aromatic. Melt- 
ing point between that of the two preceding. 
Fresh oil of rosemary dissolves the first ia 
