^90 
INSECTS OF BRAZIL AND VALPARAISO. 
by Adanson, although not applied by him to 
this genus. Decandolle divides it into four 
divisions. 1. Locusta: with one or two empty 
cells and a gibbous corky or spongy mass at 
the back of the fertile one. 2. Psilocoelue: 
the two empty cells, each reduced to a hollow 
nerve. 3. Plaiycoelae : two empty cells, near y 
as large as the fertile ones. 4. Selenocoelat : 
section of the fruit, crescent shaped, with 
two empty cells. 
Mr. Woods suggests that the European 
species may be divided as follows : A. Flow- 
ers ringent. 1. F. Cornucopioe : B. flowers 
nearly regular; A. fruit with a corky mass 
at the back of the seed. 2. F. oliioria. 3. 
F. (jibhosa b. section of the fruit crescent 
shaped, two barren cells, a. F. iurgida. 5. 
F. carinafa. 6. F. platiiloba : C. barren 
cells two, hardly touching in the middle ; di- 
vi'-ions of the calyxhooked; flowers in glo- 
bular heads ; upper leaves generally pinnati- 
fied at the base. 7- F. Hamata. 8. F. Coro- 
nata. 9. F. Ciliata: d barren cells two, hard- 
ly touching in the middle ; prolonged in to 
teeth or horns, but not forming a membra- 
nous calyx. 10. F. echinata, 11. F. frigo- 
nocarpa. 12. F. Sphaerocarpa. 13. F. pu- 
mila : e barren cells two contiguous ; crown 
erect. 14. F auricula : / barren cells four 
15. F. vesicaria : g barren cells wanting, or 
reduced to a mere nerve ; panicle nearly fas- 
tigiate ; the lower flowers solitary. 16. F. 
lasiocephala. 17. F. eriocarpa. 18. F. den- 
taia 19. F. puberula. 20. F. microcarpa. 21. 
F. fruncata. 'J he paper isj illustrated by 
drawings. 
DE MERCH.\NT1 E 1 S AuctoreThoma.&c. 
Taylor, M. D., F. L. S. 
The species of this order of plants, although 
limited in nun bn-, are widely spread over 
the world, as \\e find from the Baltic sea to 
the Mediterranean in Europe, over all America 
and even the mountains of iXepaul. The 
author treats of sujh in this paper as have 
come under his notice, under the genera 
Marchanfia, FegaieUa, Fimbraria, Lunularia, 
Hygropgla. Those who are fond of the study 
of this beautiful order of plants, we cannot 
direct to a more distinct source for the 
solution of any difficulties which they may 
happen to meet with, although it would have 
more congenial to the acquirements of most 
botanists if the concluding remarks on each 
species had been couched in English instead 
of Latin. We approve of the use of the latter 
language for stating the specific characters, 
but to carry the use of a dead language any 
further is an abuse. 
ON THE ERIOGONEAE, A TRIBE OF 
THE ORDER POLYGOA'ACEAE. 
By G. Bentham, Esq., F. L S. 
The genus Eriogomm was first established 
“by Michaux in his Flora Borealu Americana' 
The number of plants now known which 
approach nearly to this genus amount to 40 
species. In this paper Mr. Benthatn 
proposes to divide these into three genera. |' 
All the species are equally distinguished by 
their involucrate inflorescence and absence of ' 
stipulae, at least to thelower or cauline leaves. 
But a considerable difference of habit has 
induced him, at the suggestion of Mr. 
Brown, not only to separate generically 5 
species with uniflorous involucres ; b\xt among 
these to isolate one (Mucronea) which has a ! 
compressed and bidentate involucre formed of 
two leaves instead of a triangular sexdentate 1 
one formed of six leaves as in the four species 
{Chorizanthe). The latter genus is further 
confirmed and augmented by seven species 
collected in Chili by Macrae, Cuming, 
Bridges, &c. 
OBSERVATIONS ON I HE GENUS HO- 
SACKIA AND THE AMERICAN LOTI. 
By George Bentham, Esq., F.L.S. 
The author modifying his views expressed 
in the Botanical Register (vol. xv. tab. 1257,) 
in reference to these two genera, is now 
induced to confine the circumscription of 
Hosackia to the umbellate species, and propo. 
ses to consider the uniflorous ones as belong- 
ing to Lotus of which they would form a sepa- 
rate section, which, with reference to the 
size of the flowers, might be called Microlotus. !! 
The two genera would then be characterized i’ 
by the form of the flower ; and the peculiar!- 1; 
ties observable in the organs of vegetation ' 
would again be reduced to their proper level, j 
thatof subsidiary, not essential characters. In i 
the true Hosackiae the claw of the vexillum isr ;! 
always at some distance from those of the other j 
petals ; the alae adhere by their margins to | 
the Carina, and usually (if not always) spread 
at right angles from it ; the carina is usually j 
less rostrate than in Lotus and the stigma ; 
more distinctly capitate. In Microlotus the j 
flower does not present any essential differ- 
ences from that of our European Loti. The 
author describes 1 1 species of Hosackia, and i 
5 species of Microlotus. j 
ENTOMOLOGY. | 
Descriptions, ^c., of the Insects collected 
Captain P. P. King, R. N., F. R. S. in the j: 
Survey of the Straits of Magellan. By John i 
Curtis, Esq., F. L. S. ; A. H. Haliday, Esq,^ 
M. A., and Francis Walker, Esq., F. L. S. 
The collection was formed along the coast : 
from St. Paul’s in Brazil to Valparaiso. It | 
is interesting to trace the similarity which ![ 
exists between the corresponding parallels of i 
the southern and northern hemispheres such ; 
as is afforded by the present collection. Thus i 
the genus Carabus appears unknown in S. 
America, excepting about lat. 50® where a j 
species of that group with a narrow thorax j 
has been found ; the genus culex also occurs, J 
The insects of S. America bear little resem- 
blance to those of S. Africa. Descriptions 
are given of species belonging to 55 genera ! 
of Hymenopfera, and of 78 genera of Diptera. 
•^Records of Science. | 
