374 
THE LADIES’ MAGAZINE OF GARDENING. 
speckled with brown and black freckles, with lines of the same colours 
running from one to other of the spots. * The head and neck of the male 
are of a brighter yellow than those of the female; and he has a peculiar 
song, much resembling that of his congener, the bunting. It consists of a 
few notes begun slow and distinct, and ending with a shrill slur. The 
yellow-hammer is useful to the gardens, as it lives on the larvae of insects 
in the summer, and on the scattered seeds of weeds in winter. 
The Reed Sparrow (E. schceniculus ) is a bird somewhat smaller 
than the foregoing, and mostly seen on damp rushy ground, making its 
nest and breeding in a thick tuft of these or other aquatic plants. The 
head of the male is surrounded by a circle of white feathers; and perched 
on the top of a low bush, he utters a few notes of a brief and plaintive 
character. Any one wishing to see these birds, has only to walk down 
to low meadows, where rushes and sedges abound, and there these birds 
may be seen, not in flocks, but in pairs. Unless sought for in the places 
above mentioned, these birds are seldom seen. 
REVIEWS. 
The Botanical Magazine for November contains :— 
Arctostaphylos nitida , Hook .; A. discolor , Dec. A very beautiful 
shrub with shining leaves, and bell-shaped fruit, introduced in 1838. It 
is a native of Mexico, and will probably prove hardy in British 
gardens. 
Kreysigia multijlora , Reich.; Triplandenia Cunninghamia^ Don. <c A 
very pretty, half-hardy, herbaceous plant, with the habit of Streptopus.” 
It is a native of New South Wales, whence it was introduced in 1823. 
The flowers are star-like in shape, and of a pale pink. 
Echinocactus corynodes , Pferiff. A curious specimen of this very 
curious genus, with a wreath of straw-coloured flowers, each with a red 
eye at the summit. 
Franciscea latifolia , Pohl. A showy plant, belonging to Scropku- 
larinece , with deep violet-coloured flowers. It is a native of Brazil, near 
Rio Janeiro; and though it has flowered here in the hothouse, it would 
probably succeed in the greenhouse equally well. 
Lasiopetalum macrophyllum , Graham. An Australian shrub, with 
corymbs of straw-coloured flowers, spotted with a rich reddish-brown. 
Prepusa Hookeriana , Gardner. A perennial plant, with showy 
