Gwe. Monthly Naturalis?’s Report. [July 1, 
red fowets introduced by Lord Seaforth from the West Indies. We have seen 4 dry specie 
men of wiat’ We consider as the same species, from Tobago, The plant from which the figure 
wag tak As, | owered i in. Mr. Lambert’s stove. 
The fest number of the Paradisus, concluding the first part of the second volume, contains 
the fic Aces aad letterpress of Diapensia abtusifolia, Crocus lagenefiorus, and Eurispermum grane 
diforam. Thre first is the Diapensia lappenica of Linnzus and subsequent botanists, and also 
figured and described as such in the Betanical Magazine of last month (see our last report.) 
Nor. Salisbury changes that name into obtusifelia, eddie a D. cuneifolia, Michaux’s Pyxidanthera 
barbulata; but without informing us whether he has examined the latter plant. From dried 
specimens in fruit, which Mr. S, has seen, he first suspected Diapensia to belong to the natural 
order of the Erice,and his examination of living specimens has removed all his doubts; 
but we confess ourselves not quite satisfied on this head, and propose to give dGurown remarks 
upon the affinity of that plant at another opportunity. It is an observation of Mr. Peck’s 
worth mentioning thaton the White mountains or New Hampshire, the slender stems of thi¢ 
plant, branch closeiy into groups of turfs sufficiently strong to beat the weight of a man stand- 
ing upon them. Perhaps, however, it may doubted ifthis be the same species. 
Crocus lageneficrus, Salisb. the gourd-flowered crocus, of which three varieties are men- 
tioned: the one here figured with gold-yellow colour has the synonym of Crocus aureus of 
Sibthorp’s Flora Greca, which seems, however, to differ in some particulars. M. S. main- 
tains, against Mz. Gawler, that this is the real C: Mesiacus of former botanists, ahd distinct 
from the common one figured in the Botanical Magazine: we ,are not willing to follow 
either of these gentlemen i in the ma zes of their synonymical researches. Eufispefmum gran-~ 
diflorum, i is. that beautiful species 0 Prorea with separated leaves, and large bracted flowers 3 
ene of those, according to Mr. S. that are confoundéd in our gardens under the name of P. 
decora. The following observation, affording another proof of the ftriking analogy between 
the animal and vevetable kingdoms, is entirely new:—=‘* In the whole genus the males are 
far more pro/ific and'shewy than the females; as in the generality of animals.” 
Appended to this number are the Indexes for the first part of the second volume of this 
work; the names of one of them, called the ‘* Index sexualis,” Mr, S. uses as pegs to hang 
notes upon. At Calypso Borealis, No. 89, it is observed that there is already a genus so dale 
ed by Petit Thouars, and that the genericname of Cytherea is tobe substituted. *< Quia 
Kevbe: cobs ECMTAS, nuptias occultat.”” Another note (not sexual) relates to Randia loagifura, 
No. 93, which Mr. S. intends to raise to the rank of a genus, under the title Eucfinia ; not, as 
one might suppose, in allusion to a bed,‘orthe author's Torus, but 626 venlite pialebre recli- 
- matos.” . Respecting Hodkera coronaria, called Brodia after Mr. Brodie, by Dr. Smith, wé 
are told, ‘* Nomen ut fertur, pro alio late senate reject urus est Cl. Smith.” ‘To facilitate 
the study of the noble art of punning, allusions of this kind ought always to be printed in ita- 
lics, a rule neglected in the passage just quoted. 
It is not that we think the study of cryptogamous stants less important, but heaansé 
they are less generally interesting » that we have confined our remarks to the phendga- 
mous. Perhaps the sea-weeds, on the uncommon beauty of their colours, and delicacy of 
their forras, are as generally attractive as any, and we hope soon to find an opportunity of no- 
ticing more particularly the History of the Fuci, by Dawson Turner, esq. a number of which 
ccntinues to be peblished every month,and wh Hi The in every respect, the high character we 
gave of it in a former oe 
EDS eS aS rere fs 
NATURALIST’s MONTHLY REPORT, 
May. 
The Leafing Month. 
Airs, vernal airs, 
Breathing the smell of grove and field, attune 
The trembling leaves. 
‘A MORE backward spring than the present has not been remerabered for many years. On 
the fist of May the woods and hedges were almost wholly destitute of verdure. In the 
beginning of the month, however, the weather became warmer than, for some weeks, it had 
been, and vegetation iiebceded with such unusyal rapidity, that, in the course of a apie hpi 
the whole eg had assumed its vernal attire. 
May 8. Most of the fruit trees are in bloom. 
About the fifth of this month the young eels began to ascend the rivers, and continued to 
pass till about the twentieth. But, for seme days towards the conclusion, their numbers 
were very few. It is evident, that eels, which inhabit rivers ef maritime districts, go, to- 
wards the winter, to the sea for the purpose of depositing there their young. ‘These at the 
commencement of the warm weather in Spring, having attained the thickness of common 
packthread, and the length of about three inches, issue from thence, and proceed to their 
natural habitations in the fresh water. Their progress is singular. Unable to withstand the 
strong 
