the parent tree. They knew of no other but that in Mexico; yet from some indistinct accounts, they thought it probable, that it might exist in some of the distant provinces of that country.

If you inquire of a naturalist, why the turnip of Sweden should be indigenous to that country, he will answer, “because it is peculiarly adapted to the climate and the soil." If you inquire of him, why it was not originally planted by Nature on the continent of New South Wales, he will reply, "the soil is too arid and the climate too intense." But if you inquire of the cultivator of this very plant, at New South Wales, where it has recently been introduced, whether the seed has sprung up and prospered, he will inform you, that it has not only sprung up, but that its top grows to the height of six feet; and that its root has even arrived to the weight of thirty pounds. Thus we find, that some plants improve by being transplanted to a country and climate, which would appear to be naturally and decidedly unfitted for them.

It is curious, that New South Wales should be so abundant in native vegetative beings; and Van Diemen's Land, its neighbour, so indigent of them. This island is so healthy that, at Hobart's town, sixteen months have been known to pass away without a single funeral. It has streams and extensive tracts, free from timber; exotic corn and fruits flourish abundantly; and yet not one native edible fruit or vegetable has been ever found in it .

b Since this was written a very remarkable discovery has been made.— "During the year 1834, 100,215 quarters of wheat were imported into this country from Van Diemen's Land, being, with one exception, the largest quantity imported from any one country. Within these few months an indigenous species of wheat is stated to have been discovered. Of this discovery the following account has been given in the local papers :-" Mr. Foster, of the Macquarie River, has recently completed a tour of the northern and eastern coast of the island, exploring the several rivers from fifteen to twenty miles up their stream. What we look upon as the most interesting result of the journey is the discovery of an indigenous species of wheat, which grows in various parts

In that part of New Holland, which has been recently colonized, viz. the Swan River department, has been found a curious plant, no where else, I believe, known. The flower of it, when warmed by the rays of the sun, gives out a smoke, similar to that, exhaled by persons, who smoke. When the discoverer first saw it at a distance, he was greatly alarmed; for he thought he had fallen into an ambuscade of savages.

In Nootka Sound, Cook saw wild rose-bushes, rasp-berries, straw-berries, and wild gooseberries; all natives of Europe: and though so common in South Africa, yet it would be, as I have before said, in vain to search through the whole continent of America for a heath; and not only not the rockrose, which blossoms for a day, and has its leaves of so many different figures and shades, and petals of so many opposite colours; but not a single native rose tree has been found in the whole of South America. Nor is there a native honeysuckle in all Africa; though both the European rose and the American jasmine flourish on the Congo.

b

The great

Shall we now return to our own country? round-headed garlick grows wild only in one spot in Great Britain viz. the Flat-Holmes, in the British Channel; and Cornish lovage is said to be found in no part of the world but Cornwall.

с

It is curious to observe how distant the various species of the same genus vegetate from each other. A few instances near the coast to the north of St. Patrick's Head. It was unfortunately only in bloom when Mr. Foster saw it, and no ripe grains could be found from which it could be propagated, which, however, will, we hope, be the case by some future traveller, who may visit that part of the country when the grain is ripe. As this is the first of the cereal order of plants that has been found in Van Diemen's Land, its discovery is well deserving a place in the annals of the colony. Unlike the common sorts of wheat, it seems to delight in poor soils, growing luxuriantly in banks of sand and shells."

a The Jesuits describe the Paramo de las Rosas in South America, as being covered not only with rosemary but with the red and white roses of Europe. Humboldt describes them as of the species Rosa centifolia; but he is diffident in respect to them.-Vid. Per. Narrative, iii. 487. iv. 248.

Liquoticum Cornubiense.

will sufficiently illustrate this reflection. There are fourteen species of the psoralea at the Cape; one at Madeira; one in Peru; one in Italy; and one in the Levant. Of the eighteen species of elichrysum, only one vegetates in New Holland; but of the starwort there are four; seven at the Cape; one among the Alps; one in Mount Caucasus; one respectively in France, Italy, and China; and not less than fifty-nine in America. Of the mesembryanthemum it is equally curious to observe, that, while one species has been found in Greece, and three in New Holland, only one should have been found peculiar to the North of Africa (Egypt); while there are no less than 170 peculiar to the South.

Some plants will naturalize in a primitive manner; that is, without culture; only in peculiar temperatures. But the lopezia, the scarlet-flowered justicia, the pellucid pepper-plant, the tuberous commelina, and the purple shrub nycterum, indigenous to Mexico, will no more grow in Siberia, than the lily-leaved bell-flower, and the creeping gypsophila of Siberia, will blossom at the Cape. The auricula of the Alps, and the rose-bay of Mount Caucasus, are never seen among the Andes or Corderillas; any more than the crenated convolvulus, the trailing cherry, and the golden pancratium of Peru, are witnessed in Kamschatka.

POISONOUS PLANTS.

In respect to poisonous plants. These vegetables emigrate with great difficulty. It has been asserted, that no animal will eat food, that, in its natural state, is injurious to it. Instinct, they say, if not disrelish, will teach the animal to avoid it. In Europe, however, we see frequent intances to the contrary. In Africa the fact is still more evident; for the cattle, north of the Cape, are extremely partial to the Amaryllis disticha, which almost infallibly kills them. With the bulb of this plant the Bushmen poison their arrows.

There, also, is a plant, called the Euphorbia, which is of such a poisonous nature, that if some branches are thrown into the fountains, where the animals on the Orange River drink, it has so powerful an effect upon them, that they die in less than an hour afterwards. It is succulent, and grows to the height of fifteen feet. With this plant, also, the Hottentots poison their arrows; its juice being mixed up with a species of caterpillar, that grows upon another plant. It is curious that the flesh of those animals, which die of this poison, is not in the smallest degree injured.

In Java there are several vegetable poisons. From the sap of the Oopas is prepared a substance, equal to the strongest animal poisons. There have been many fables relative to this tree. That it exists is certain; but shrubs and plants grow round it; and no barrenness is observed in its neighbourhood. When it is felled, there is, certainly, an effluvia from its juices, which mix with the atmosphere, and produce cutaneous eruptions; but the Dutch account is fabulous a. The most poisonous of all trees, however, is the Tshettik of the same island. It is far more fatal in its effects than the oopas. It grows in deep black mould, in the midst of almost inaccessible forests. Neither of these trees have found an opportunity of propagating out of their own island ©.

EMIGRATION OF ANIMALS.

It has often been a subject for surprise, in what manner noxious plants and animals have been transported from one 1 Vid. Transact. of Lit. and Philosoph. Society of Batavia, vol. vii. Also Raffles' Hist. Java, vol. i. p. 43.

b Horsefield, Batavian Lit. and Phil. Transact. vol. vii.

* Pontoppidan says, "Near Rostal is a flat and naked field, on which no vegetable will grow. The soil is almost white, with grey stripes, and has somewhat of so peculiarly poisonous a nature, that though all other animals may safely pass over it, a goat or a kid no sooner sets his foot upon it, than it drops down, stretches out its legs, its tongue hangs out of its mouth, and it expires; if it hath not instant help."-Nat. Hist. Norway, 16.

country to another; not only distant by land; but separated by vast oceans.

The man of war bird soars in the air like a kite, to which it is similar in shape though not in colour; having a black body with a red neck. Its eye is so keen, that it can see fish on the surface of the ocean; it descends; and after seizing its prey, without scarcely touching the water with its bill, mounts as swiftly as it had descended. This bird can traverse the ocean from island to island; because it can not only fly, but maintain itself upon its voyage. The same observation applies to the petrel. This bird, named after St. Peter, because though it is actually upon the wing, it seems to walk upon the water, transports itself from one end of the ocean to the other. It has long legs; is about the size of a swallow; spouts oil from its nostrils; and mostly forebodes a tempest. It is seen in almost every sea; alike insensible to the heat of the tropics, and the rigour of the poles. But whence does it arise, that the house and garden spider of Europe,-an insect unknown in Ireland, is yet found in the Loo-choo Islands? These insects are enabled by their circular membrane to walk upon walls and roofs; and the latter has the power of suspending itself from tree to tree, and across; but it has no power of flight, as many other insects have.

The isle of Amsterdam has neither insects nor reptiles: but this may be accounted for by the circumstance, that it has neither cold springs nor rivers a.

This island is about 2,000 miles from shore, and lies midway between New Holland and Madagascar. It is eight square miles in surface. Zeolite, obsidian, and pumice are seen in every part of the coast. There is not one quadruped, nor one land-bird; and, if we except flies, not one visible insect. There are mosses, sow-thistles, garden parsley, procumbent pearlwort; polypody, spleenwort, and a few other plants: and what is extremely curious, they are all British. The gardeners of the Lion, on their voyage to China, planted potatoes here.-Anon.