= 
1806.] 
The opera here igs much fuperior to 
thofe at Malta ‘and Catania ; but one 
thing ftruck me as indicating extreme po- 
verty either in the people or manager, 
which is, that there are no lights pravided 
except thofe upon’ the ftage ; cach party is 
therefore obliged to bring candles for its 
own box, or fit in the dark. : 
I reco!le&t nothing elfe worth feeing in 
this town, The arfenal, which flands at 
the bottom of the bay, appears to bea 
ftrong ftone work ; but foreigners are not 
permitted to ester it. In the centre of 
the bay is another fortification, which is 
ufed as a quarantine-office and barrack. 
The Governor is a polite and pleafant 
man, fpoke very good Englith, and in- 
formed me be had been formerly in our 
navy. (To be continued.) 
ene 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 3 
N your laff month’s Magazine there are 
fome inquiries from a Correfpondent 
refpecting two plants mentioned in Mr. 
Evans’s four in North. Wales; one, du/bo- 
codium vernum of Linnzus, and the other 
the afaleur pren, or pren lemcun (the lemon- 
tree) of the Welfh. As I have made 
mote than one excurficn into this romantic 
and-highly interefting country, forthe pur- 
pofe chiefly of ftudying and collecting its 
plants, it may bein my power to throw 
fome light on the prefent fubjeci. Mr. 
Evans; I am more than inclined to think, 
has difeovered bulbocodium vernum only in 
botanizing theough Mr. Pennant’s work 
on North-Wales. I have not ‘that book 
by me at prefent, but I very well recol- 
lect taking a minute’ of the habitat of the 
plant‘from thence, for the exprefs purpofe 
of fearching for it myfelf. Mr. Pennant 
fays that it grows on a lofty rock, part of 
Snowdon, which -is called Clogwyn du’r 
Arddu., I fought fome hours for it upon 
this rock, but to‘no purpofe. I however 
found, what I have no doubt had’ beén 
miftaken for it, the anthericum ferotinum 
of Ljnnzus, Hudfon, and Withering. — 
Had the former plant, which is of fuch 
fize and colour as to be fufficiently confpi- 
cuous, been a native of any of the moun- 
tainous parts of North-Wales, it would 
-almoft to a certainty have been difcovered 
by one of thofe twa excellent botamit{ts, 
the late Mr. Griffiths, of Garn, or the 
Rev. Mr. Davies, of Beaumaris. There 
can be no doubt but that Mr. Pennant’s 
infertion of bulbocodium vernum was trem 
erroneous information; and that Mr. 
Evans, without having made the due ine 
MontTuLy Mac, No, 139: 
Bulbocodium Vernun, and Wellh Lemon-Tree.  - 95 
quiry, has unwittingly transferred the er. 
ror from Mr, Pennant’s book into his own 
work. Mr. E., for various reafons, could 
not poffibly have miftaken colchicum au- 
tumnale for the plant In queftion. 
If Mr. Evans had been at the trouble 
of inquiring at Aber for fome perfon to 
accompany him, he would have had na 
difiiculty whatever in finding what he. de- 
nominates §* the non deicript plant which 
is called afaleur preun, whofe fruit re- 
fembles a lemon; and is-{aid to grow on 
the top of Penmaen.”’ I cannot give this 
gentleman credit for much botanical infer- 
mation, from the circumftance of his ap- 
parently implici¢ faich in the-exage- rated 
affertions of fume of the Welth retpecting 
this plant. I think that no correét botra- 
nifi would, without very confiderable qua- 
-lification, have ventured to countenance 
thefe affertions by his name in print.— 
That any plant. bearing a fruit like the 
lemon, and known to grow on a particn- 
lar{pot, thould continue undefcribed by 
fuch accurate fy&ematic: botanivs as Hud. 
fon and\ Withering, and particularly by 
the latter, affited as. he was by the in- 
defatigable exertions of Mr. Griffths,' 
who. yilited the Welfh mountains fer 
the exprefs purpofe of botanizing, for 
fome weeks in almo% every fummer, -was 
a circumfance that would prevent moft 
perfons well acquainted with the nature of 
Englifh planis from entirely crediting, and 
certainly from printing, the affertions of 
the Welfh people refpecting thetr afgleur 
pren, ov pren-lemon. When I was laft at 
Aber}I made very full inquiry on the fub- 
ject of thia celebrated plant, for fuch it 
‘really is in mo& parts of Caernarvoathire. 
Accompanied by a guide, L went to the 
{pot where it grew, which is amongtt 
fome of the perpendicular rocks of Pen- 
maen Maur, immediately above that part 
of the turnpike-road which is formed on a - 
ledge of the mountain above the fea ;~- 
and, ftrange to fay, this lemon-tree is cer- 
tainly nothing more than crategus aria of 
Linnzus, and pyrus aria of Dr. Smith. 
‘The trees which the guide pointed out to 
me had been much cut, and, ashe faid, for 
the purpofe of planting the ‘euttings in 
gardens. It may feem ridiculous thar the 
fruit of this fhrub thovld ever, under any 
circumfances, have been fo far miftaken 
as to becompared to alemon, Such how- 
ever is the fact. The man who accom- 
panied me faid it was like a fell lemon 
but when Tinquired ‘particularly as to che 
fize, he at firit fhewed me the end of his 
thumb, and afterwards, on my fmiling, 
and exprefling my doubts, he afenred chat 
D prroaps 
