NOTICES OF SERIALS. 
31 
Tiearum Zoysia, in Mohl, and Schlechtendal’s “ Botanische Zeitung;” The 
Phytologist; Loudon’s Encyclopedia of Plants ; Dr. Cock’s Algarum Fasciculi; 
H. Schott, Arordias Fasc., I and II. 
No. 79, August:—Botany of Yan Dieman’s Land—Extract of a letter from 
Dr. Harvey, dated Launceston, Yan Dieman’s Land, March 31, 1855. Among 
other interesting particulars given by Dr. Harvey in this letter, he mentions the 
naturalization of common English weeds in Van Dieman’s Land to such an extent 
as to become perfect pests—horehound is found everywhere, and chamomile covers 
the fields, in many places to the exclusion of grass. Thistles are fast going 
a-head, hundreds of acres being given over to them; and they grow so rank in 
some places that one may walk over the beds of thistle-down, blown from the 
withered stems, ankle deep. Sweet-briar forms, in some places, impenetrable 
thickets, and annually produces millions of hips. The furze is, also, spreading, 
but not so rapidly. Hawthorn and oak trees appear heavily laden with berries 
and acorns. Botany of Victoria—Extracts of letters from Dr. Mueller. (G. H. 
K. Thwaites) Note on Bursinopetalum ; (Dr. Asa Gray) Note on the Develop¬ 
ment and Structure of the Integuments of the Seed of Magnolia; (R. Spruce) 
Botanical Objects sent to the Kew Museum from the Amazon ; (H. II. Calvert) 
Notes on Vegetable Products sent by him from Erzeroom. Notices of Books— 
Dr. Hooker and T. Thomson’s Flora Indica. 
No. 80, September:—Notes written on a Voyage from Singapore to Banjer- 
massing, in the southern extremity of Borneo, in a Letter from James Motley to 
Sir W. J. Hooker ; (G. H. K. Thwaites, F.L.S.) On Sphragidia and Eccremanthus, 
two new genera of Ceylon Plants, together with Observations on the Genus Herni- 
cyclia—with two plates ; On Botanical Objects communicated to the Kew Museum 
from the Amazon and its tributaries in 1853, by Richard Spruce; (G. H. K. 
Thwaites) Notes on the Botany of Ceylon. Botanical Information—Rice Paper 
Plant; Plants of Greece ; Mr. Spruce’s Voyage up the Amazon, and its Tributa¬ 
ries ; Cordia Fungi. Notices of Books—(J. D. Hooker, M.D., F.R.S.) Illustra¬ 
tions of Himalayan Plants ; (Thomas Moore, F.L.S.) The Ferns of Great Britain 
and Ireland, edited by Dr. J. Lindley, nature printed by H. Bradbury; Chloris 
Andina, par Dr. H. A. Wendell. 
The Naturalist: a Popular Monthly Magazine, with numerous Engravings; 
conducted by B R. Morris, Esq., M.D. ISo. 50, April; No. 51, May; No. 52, 
June; No. 53, July ; No. 54, August; No. 55, September, 1855. 8vo. Price 
6d. each. London: Groombridge and Sons. 
No. 50, April:—(W.) Notes on the Star-fishes found in the Moray Frith, near 
Banff; (Edward Parfitt) A List of and Notes on the Fungi found in the Neigh¬ 
bourhood of Exeter; (George Donaldson) The Swamps of the Missisippi; (0. S. 
Round) The Myrtle Bee. Under this curious title Mr. Round tells us that a 
Captain Brown, while snipe-shooting, about the year 1830, in some bogs near 
Egham, met with some birds (?), that by him and his brother sportsmen were 
called bees. In size these birds (?) were about half as large as a wren; tail, long 
in proportion to the body, square ; plumage(?), sooty gray black ; tongue, which 
protruded, was long and horny. This statement of Captain Brown has led to a 
long discussion in “ Notes and Queries;” but for our part we fancy the Captain 
showed himself a very fair naturalist in calling them bees ; for his description 
comes much nearer a thing belonging to the insect tribe than to the bird tribe— 
believing the account to be true. Could the “bee” in question have been the 
humming-bird sphinx? Flying into the earth, hiding themselves in the moss, buzz¬ 
ing from bush to bush, and concealing in the grass at their roots—such things 
never were birds. (A. S. Moffat) The Water Ouzel; (C. W. Rothery) Winter 
Notes at the Lakes. Review—The Entomologists’ Annual, 1855 ; The late Pro¬ 
fessor Edward Forbes. Proceedings of Societies—Entomological Society of 
London, January 1, 1855. The Querist; The Wood Pigeon; Increase in 
Insects. 
No. 51, May:—(T. Southwell) A Spring Ramble ; (Stephen Stowe) A Glance 
at the Feathered Residents in, and Visitors to, the Grounds of Terarick House, with 
