To the Editer of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
BEG to afk of fome of your philofo- 
phical correfpondents, the cauie of the 
faltnefs on the branches of the trees and 
hedges in many parts of Kent, and 1 
fhould fuppofe it was general throughout 
England, from about the 26th of March, 
to the 5th of April laft, when the rain 
French National [nftitute. 
[May 
washed it off ; during the time the falt- 
nefs was obferved, the wind was in the 
eaft, and the air very cold for this feafon— 
I found thoie branches the moft expofed 
to the wind much the falteft, it could not 
be obferved by the eye, but by applying — 
the branches to the lips it was very percep- 
tible. Your’s, &c. 
April, 12th, 1799. M, w. 

PROCEEDINGS at large of the Nationa InsTITUTE of France, on 
the 4th of “fanuary, 1799, as publifbed by the Secretaries. 
Notice of the Labours of the Clafs of which is at this day multiplied fo advan- 
Phyfical Sciences, read at the laft quarterly 
jitizng, by- Citizen Lassus, Secretary. 
MONG the different objects which 
during the laft three months have 
occupied the clafs of Phyfical Sciences, 
two new genera of plants have been pre- 
fented by Citizen L7HERITIER. ‘The 
firft, difcovered at Madagatcar, by Citi- 
zen BRUGUIERE, an aflociate member of 
the Inftitute, is to affume the name of 
Bruguiera. Grateful fcience will be 
anxidus to confecrate to the memory of 
this learned naturalift, whom death has 
juft taken from us, the plant which was 
the firft fruit of his labours in the voyage 
round the world which he undertook with 
Kerguelen. 
The fecond: genus, difcovered at the 
fle of France by the fame author, belongs 
to the family of the Crchis. As it is a 
plant parafiftical to the trunks of trees, 
Citizen L’ Heretier propofes, for this rea- 
fon, toname it the R/izedendrum. 
There is a tree, originally of North 
Aierica, the young branches of which 
are covered during vegetation, with a vis- 
cous humour, which, if touched ever io 
flichtly, fticks ftrongly to the fingers and 
blackens them, Citizen VAUQUELIN con- 
fiders it as a principle different from ail 
hitherto known in the vegetable kingdom, 
but which, neverthelefs, approaches nearer 
to refin than to any. other fubftance. 
The produétion of this fpecies of glue, 
has caufed the name of Robinia vifcofa 
to be given to the tree here treated o/, 
to diftineuifh it from another robinia,or 
falfe acacia, to whichit bears the ftrongeft 
affinity. Citizens CeELs and VENTENAT 
have fhewn, that this tree belongs to a 
genus which has been deicribed by the 
Citizens Jussizv and Lamarck. It 
ig to Citizen MicHAaUT, affociate mem- 
bex of the Inftitute, that we owe this 
new .acguifttios, fill more important 
perhaps than that of the felfe acacia, 
tageoully. 
The difficulty of collefiing the varied 
productions of different climates, has 
been confidered, with realon, as one of 
the greateft obftacles to the ftudy and 
progrefs of natural hiflory. This diffi- 
culty exifts no longer with regard to the 
plants which grow in the ftates of Tunis © 
and Algiers. The public now poflefies a 
Complete Flora of Mount Ailas, a work 
long defired by botanifts; and it is to 
Citizen DEsFONTAINES that the obliga- 
tion is folely due. 
Citizen BROUSSONET, whom the love 
of the {ciences has conducted into the 
fame part of. Africa, has inveftigated the 
particular proceffes employed at Fez and 
at Tetuan, in the preparations of goats’ 
fkins, with which morocco leather of 
different colours 1s made. He has laid 
down the moft precife inftruétions on this — 
fubject, and has delignated the plants 
which are made ufe of in Barbary for- 
thofe kinds of preparatiens. 
Induftry, which is able to convert every 
thing to fome advantage, and which for 
that reafon ovght to lofe nothing, makes 
ufe of old ropes and old ffhermen’s nets 
to make tow, which ferves aiterwards to 
fabricate paper of different thicknefs and 
quality. Citizen TEIss1ErR has fhewn 
how ufeful it would be, to encourage in 
our maritime departments, the manutac- 
ture of that very thick paper which ferves 
for the careening of veflels, by always 
turning to prokt the tow made of old 
cordage, which is moreover uied for 
calking fhips. 
The fame author has obferved a pretty 
fingular faét, the caufe of which is not as 
yet known. He has obferved in many 
places, milk newly drawn, and of fine 
white colour, become blue in the fpace of 
two or three days, even after having un- 
dergone the operation of boiling. This 
phenomenon does not appear to depend 
either 
* 
— 
