1807.] Naturalist’s Monthly Report. =~ 69 
Of polyanthenon the author expresses a doubt whether it be a sufficiently distinct species s 
and inquires if colchicum lusitanicum fritellaricum, & C. neapolitanum fritillaricum of Pare 
kinson’s Paradise, may not be specifically distinct from any of the above. 
The Botanist’s Repository contains, 1. A large figure, on a folio plate, of anew species, a 
variety of the tree peony, which is here called peonia papaveracea (papaverea, or papave- 
rata, would have been more classical), from the globular form of the secd vessel, the six cap- 
sules coalescing into one six-celled fruit, leaving only their extremities free. 2% Diosma 
ovata. 3. Protea divaricata, a species very nearly allied to P. anemonifolia of Bot. Mag. 
and like that ofa native of New South Wales. 4, Goodenia tenella, a new species of this 
very interesting genus, and a very pretty little plant, but not extraordinary well figured, 
5. Lythrum fruticorum Lin This is the grislea tomentosa of Comandel plants, and Wilde- 
now’s species plants. Woodfordia floribunda of Salisbury. It is surprising that it should be 
claimed here as a discovery that this plant is the lythrum fruticorum of Linnzus, this name 
being expressly quoted’as a synonym by all the above authors, but was deemed by them to 
differ too much in the structure of the flower to admit of being united with the genus 
Jythrum. 
The Paradisus Londinensis contains, 1. Claytonia Caroliniana of Michaux, here called C, 
spatalefolia, as Mr. Salisbury, deaf to all remonstrances against the continual changing of 
. hames, never adopts such as do not accord with his own principles of nomenclature. The 
figure of Cl. virginica, in the Botanical Magazine, is here accused of falsely representing the 
petals as lanceolate and sharp, instead of obovate and retuse ; but this criticism, we suspect, 
is unjust. Perhaps two species may have been confounded under this name, or the petals 
may be subject to vary in their shape ; for we possess a description taken from a living plant, 
and of older date than the figure in the Botanical Magazine, in which we find the petals are 
said tobe ‘¢ ovate lanceolate.” 2. Begonia nitida. 3. Burtonia grossularie olia, a new ges 
nus, neatly allied to Dilenia and Hibbertia, named in memory of David Burton, an industri- 
ous gardner, sent by Sir Joseph Banks to New South Wales, to collect seeds for the Royal 
Garden at Kew, en which mission he unfortunately died. Mr. Salisbury has here att. mpted 
to establish a new natural order, under the appellation of dillenéw, for this botanist being, 
by his own confession, fastidiously averse from the high-sounding Greek termination of oides, 
fnas invented a Gailico-Latin terminology to his natural orders ; but with what success toan 
English ear, may be easily inferred from one of which he has given an account in the Annals 
of Botany, vol. lI. page 69, the Nymphze 2 ! 
That charming work, the English Botany, now proceeding with hasty strides to a conclu- 
sion, with respect to phzenogamous plants, at least, though the unpublished cryptogamous ones 
are still numerous, contains, in the last number, besides seven lichens and one fucus, sisym- 
brium tervestre of Curtis, who first distinguished it asa species from amphibium 3 sinapis ar- 
“vensis 5 urtica dioica; and medicago saliva; the last has, indeed, little right to be enume- 
rated in a list of plants indigenous tothe British isles ; but far trom blaming its introduction, 
we believe it will be generally acceptable, if all the plants cultivated in our fields should 
be included ; for who, in his search after native plants, would not wish to understand what he 
meets with, not scattered here and there, skulking, as it were, from his prying eye, tut co- 
yering acres of ground in proud array. 
NATURALIST’s MONTHLY REPORT, 
Advancing spring profusely spreads abroad 
Flowers of all hues, with sweetest fragrance stor’d 5 
Where’er she treads. Love gladdens every plain, 
Delight on tip-toe bears her lucid train ; 
Sweet Hope, with conscious brow, before her flies, 
Anticipating wealth from summer skies, 
WAY 20. Some silkworm’s eggs, which I had placed in a south window, began this day 
~~ to be hatched; but nearly a week elapsed before all the caterpillars had quitted their 
shells. . 
- May 23. The flowers of the Aawthorn begin to expand. The ash-trees are putting forth 
their first leaves ; and the o/ly is in flower. 
A puss moth (phalena vinula of Linnzus) emerged from its chrysaled state this day. It was 
a female ; and, asI had already several specimens, I put it out of the window. On the fol- 
lowing morning this insect was found nearly in the same place where I had left her, She 
was accompanied by a male, and had deposited against the window frame a great number of 
eggs. I coilected several, and placed them on paper in the window or my sitting room, 
in order, if caterpillars proceeded from them, to watch their changes. 
May 30th. The wind in the east, and the weather very stormy, attended by a considera- 
'_ ble fall of rain. 
The mackrel-fisbers have been employed for several davs, but hitherto without SUCCess 5 
: and 
