520 
Monthlj^ Naiurahst^s Report* 
[Dec. 1, 
The character taken from the difference in the hairiness of the barren filament, and repre¬ 
sented by an outline in both plates, seems by Dr, Sims’s account to be liable to some excep¬ 
tion, and a more obvious one is found in the nearly-naked panicle of the latter. These two 
figures are beautifully executed. 
We have received another number of the Botanist's Repository, containing 
Prostanthera lauantbos of Labillardicre, a new acquisition from Van Diemen’s island, raised 
in Lord Grenville’s garden at Drepinore. By uniting the generic character with a specific 
description, the author has made a ridiculous jumble. And, though he quotes Labillardicre's 
New Holland Plants, he does not seem to have seen that work, or he could hardly have 
^signated it by the name ot his Nova Hoilandia, or a description of New South Wales!” 
inis reniarkable plant belongs to Didynamia gymnosperraia, beiring, according to the cha¬ 
racter, tour berries, in the room of four naked seeds. These, Brown says, are not perfect 
berries. This last author describes twelve other species, though Mr. Andrews supposes the 
genus contains a solitary one only. 
Gompholobium graniCiJiorum. A Very fine specie^ from the conservatory of the Comptesse 
de Vandes. 
Justicia bicohr. The same as mentioned above from the Botanical Magazine, said here, 
but erroneously, to be a native of Jamaica. The figure is far inferior to the other. 
Lobelia sj>eailani. A species nearly related to L. unidentataj but sufficiently distinct from 
that and every other, by the greater regularity of the limb of the corolla. In his specific 
character the author describes it as a dwarf shrub, but he afterwards says it is a delicate 
slender little annual : the last character we believe is the true one. We observed this 
little plant last summer at Mr. Colville’s. Mr. Andrews must certainly mistake, when he 
asserts that the late Dr. Solander had an intention to separate ;t by the generic title ot 
Sj>eculare. 
Epidendrum There is a figure of this plant in the 5th volume of the Botani¬ 
cal Magazine, though under a false name; and, either from an accidental variation, or from 
a supposed defect of a leaf, mistakenly represented with two leaves j both which circum¬ 
stances are corrected by Dr. Sims in the Index and Enumeration to the first twenty volumei 
or the Magazine. The price of the Botanist’s Repository is raised to 6 s. the number. 
^\e are sorry to find that in the great commercial prosperity of the Island of Malta, the 
Botanic Garden there, which once promised better things, has been suffered to go entirely 
to decay, and is now made a public parade. We understand that in a private garden there 
the Plantain tree (the yellow-fruited variety) has born fruit last summer, equal in size and 
fiavour to the product oi the tropical climates. 
NATUKALIST’s MONTHLY REPORT. 
OCTOBER. 
The fading, many-colourtd, w’oods. 
Shade deepening under shade, the country round 
Embrown. 
^HE wind has been more or less westerly during nearly the whole of the month. On the 
3d and 4th it vvas south-east j on the 14th, 15th, and 17th, southerly j on the 27th,- 
souch-cast; and on the 28th, first north, but afterwards .south, 
1 have scarcely any recollection of more boisterous weather in a given number of days, 
than we have had in the course of this month. There svere strong gales on the 1 st, 4 th 9 
5th, 7th, 12 th, 25tb, and 3Uth ; fresh gales on the 3d, 6 th, 8 th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 20tb, 
f3d, 24ch, 27th, and 29th j and squally weather on the 2d, 25th, and 26th. 
The only days on which we had no rain were the 6 th, 8 th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 
19th, and 23d 3 and the l7th was the only fine day in the course of the month. 
October 1st. There was a thunder-storm this morning, but it was of short continuance. 
Honey is this year in considerable abundance, owing no doubt, in a great measure, to the 
fine lioc weather which was prevalent during the principal part of the month of September. 
Its price is now considerably less than one-third of what it was about this time last year. 
In the fine afternoons i have teen the bees returning laden from the heaths in such nuiubew 
as to appear almost as though they were young swarms leaving their hive, 
October 2d. The le.ivcs of the elm, and of several species of willow, fall, 
October 4 ch. The leaves of the sumach turn red and fail. 
The pewits begin to collect in large flocks iti the fields. 
Oct.ober 7th. Owing to the late rains the rivers and brooks begin to overflow their banks. 
It is about this season that the eels are supposed to commence their migration towards the 
sea, and during the first autumnal floods they are generally caught in immense quantities at. 
tae mills and weiis, hut as yet very few have been seen. 
The winter crops of potatoes are dug up, ’ 
Oct.nber yth. Hvnwse-fljes begin to appear torpid. 
October lith. During the high wind the rooks dash about and play In a more sportive 
manner 
