Arjaponicum of Thunberg; and this name in Donn's Catalogue ought probably to have been added as a synonym. Dr Sims would not have been satisfies, fron the descriptions extant of A amornatum, that the plant here figured is the same, but the specimen preserved in the Banksian Herbarium, under that name, from North America, appears to be in no respect different It is very distinct in stobage from every other known species.

Anemone marcissiflora. One of those old plants of our wardens, that are now rarely met with The Anemone fasciculata, of the Species Plantarum, is made by Wildenow a variety of the Narcissus-flowered Aremone: but not being taken up as a synonym, the manner in which the circumstance is mentioned here, might lead to the supposition, that it was an ori❤ ginal obervation of Dr. ims; which it is not. We cannot agree with the author, in thinks ing that Crusius's Ranunculus montanus is another variety; for that appears really to belong to the genus in which the French botanist has placed it.

M.mesa stricta. The twin-flowered Mimosa. One of thar division which, by Wildenow, is separated from the rest as a genus, to which he has restored the old name of Acacia, an example, which Dr. S. has not thought fit to follow; and, indeed, before the fruit of most of them shall have been examined, any attempt to settle the numerous species of this inreresting family must prove fruitless. The present species, as well as some others related to it, affords en instance how difficult it is in some cases for the botanical terminologist to apply prover terms to parts of an anomalous appearance: what here strikes the eye as simple leaves, are obviously the foliaceous petioles of the plant, which, even if analogy did not point out, would be sufficiently demonstrated by the seedling plants, the leaves of which are pinnated in all Mimosa; and, we may add, in all plants of a natural order in which pinnated leaves We cannot, however, blame Dr B. for describing those parts as folia simplicia, and agree with him, that they perform the function of real leaves. But this may be said of many other parts of plants.

Colchicum byzantinum. A beautiful species, larger and fuller in all its parts than any other of the genus Mr. Gawler is the first systematic botanist who introduces it to the notice of the public. Since the time of Clusius, who received the bulbs from Constantinople in 1598, it has been mentioned only by old Parkinson, to whom it was evidently known, ani superficially by John Bauhin. The very characteristic figure is accompanied by complete, though concise, and not always very easily intelligible, description.

Iris rutbenica, Pigmy Flag. This plant has also been hitherto unknown to botanists at large, though, as Mr. G. candidly acknowledges, it is completely described and figured in Gaelin's Flora Sioirica. This species is not unlike the North American I. verna, from which it is. however, distinct enough, by having a much shorter tube to its corolla.

Anthericum conaliculatum, We are sorry to find that Mr. G. has begun to furnish text to figures, with the prototypes of which he is acquainted from dried specimens only. Some dif. ferences are mentioned here as subsisting between the description of the Hortus Kewensis, the Bioksian Herbarium, and Mr. Edwards's figure of A. canaliculatum. Arthericum birsatum, of Thunberg's Prodomus Flore Capensis, Mr. G. quotes as dubious, regretting that Wildenow has taken up indiscriminately all the species from that publication, without considering the impossibility of determining many of them from the short, and often not very characteristic specific phrases, by which they are introduced to us. We are of opinion, that a Procomus of a Flora, if this latter make its appearance, is a useless, and if the more detailed des ription remain unpublished (as it seems to be the case with Thunberg's Flora Capensis), becomes a dangerous publication.

Amaryllis advena; from Chili; a new Species: for though Feuillée has already described and given a tolerable figure of this plant, no subsequent systematic botanist has mase any mention of it ; not even Molina, nor Ruiz, and Pavon, in their Account of the Vege.ables of Chili. Though not very large and showy in its flowers, these are still sufficiently elegant to attract notice, even when surrounded by more splendid congeneric species: they are of pretty bright vermilion, irregularly streaked with a greenish-yellow, especially on the inner side, somewhat like the colours of the flower of the superbuily.

The Botanists' Repos tory of last month contains, 1. An Ornithogalum, brought by Mr. Cripps from Alexandria. It appears to us to be intermediate beoween Ornithogalum latifolium and arabicum; species that are but imperfectly understood with regard to the several varieties through which they pass. Mr. Andrews calls it O. elatum.

Nitraria Schoberi. Mr. Bell avails himself, with great success, of the method of culti vating plants that grow in places abounding with salt, by artificially applying that stimulant both to their roots and leaves. It is perhaps owing to this treatment, that the Nitraria Schoberi produced fruit, which we suppose is seldom the case in gardens. The berries are red, and are here said to taste of salt.

A species of Bignonia, introduced from Cayenne by Lord Seaforth. It flowered in Mr. Lambert's stove at Boyton, where it was considered as a new species, and called B. uncata, ■ same sounding not very unlike an abbreviation of unguis cati; by which we are surprised the author was not led to examine if it might not be the same; as indeed we make no scruple to pronounce it to be. The apt name of Ungus Cati was derived from the same hooked ren

drils, which suggested Mr. Andrews's appellation of uncats. The leaves are subject to vary in length and width.

Veronica Derwencia." A spiked species of very ordinary appearance from the banks of the giver Derwent, in New South Wales. It is not to be expected that names like this will be retained by the learned botanist and travelles, who is now preparing a work on the plants of New Holland.

Protea bamiflora. A very distinct species as it appears, dwarfish, with narrow lanceolate leaves, and ascending branches; the flowers, which are not unlike those of P. cordata, are erowded together close to the ground. It flowered in Mr. Hibbert's Conservatory at Clap. ham Common. This far-famed collection, although no longer continued by its late worthy possessor, we are happy to hear, is not likely to be lost to the public. Mr. Hibbert, we are informed, has disposed of it to his late gardener, to whose skilful management its high state of preservation has been particularly indebted. Mr. Knight goes into the nursery busines under great advantage, with such a collection at his out-set.

The Paradisus Londinensis has not come to our hands this month.

NATURALIST's MONTHLY REPORT.

JUNE.

Flowering Month.

From brightening fields of ether fair disclosed,
Child of the Sun, refulgent Summer comes,
In pride of you b, and felt through Nature's depth:
He comes, attended by the sultry Hours,

And ever-fanning Breezes, on his way;

While, from his ardent lock, the turning Spring

Averts her blushful face; and earth, and skies,
All smiling, to his hot dominion leaves.

AT the beginning of the month, the evenings and nights were, for this season of the year, unusually cold. Some rain fell on the 4th and 5th: the 22d was a rainy day, and on the 25th we had a few showers, bat the rest of the month has been dry. The heat, on the whole, has not been great, but on the 19th, 30th, and two or three other days, the wea ther was exceedingly hot. The high pasture lands, towards the end of the month, were beginning to look brown and parched; and I am informed that the turnip crops have been considerably injured by the continued drought.

June 5. The eggs of some silkworms which I had last year put into a dark closet, and had forgotten, began about this day to produce their young.

June 8. The following garden plants, amongst numerous others, are now in Rower :Poplar-leived Cistus (Cistus populifolius), Wavea Cistus (Cistus laxus), Rose Cistus (Cistus Voseus), Gum Cistus (Cistus ladaniferus), White-flowered Peony (Pæonia albiflora), Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), Tree Pimrose (Oenothera biennis), Perennial Oenothera (Ormstbera fruticosa), and Great-flowered Bell-flower (Campanula grandiflora).

In fields I observed the Maiden pink (Dianthus deltoides), English Catchfly (Silene angelica), Cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralia), and fine-leaved heath (Erica cinerea).

The deep purple flowers of the latter give, at this season of the year, a rich and highly beautiful tint to almost all the waste lands in the neighbourhood from which I write.

June 16. A great number of persons, chiefly children, are occupied in catching leeches. These they sell, at the rate of about three shillings a dozen, to persons who send them off, in great numbers at a time, to London. In some parts of the rivers the animals are in such plenty, that a boy has been known to catch as many as thirty or forty in a day. Those who are most skilful at the business tie up bundles of weeds (sometimes containing blood, or or other animal substance) and throw them into places which the leeches most frequent. They take these up at certain times, and on shaking them to pieces, make a prize of such as take shelter in them. Others of the leech-catchers get into boats, and, by moving them them violently, from side to side, amongst the weeds, put into motion such of the leeches as happen to be in the immediate neighbourhood, which they then catch by means of a small fine net at the end of a long handle. I conceive that it would be well worth while to attempt the same in other parts, where the rivers or streams are favorable for the production of these animals.

June 21. The greatest part of the chafers have either left us or been destroyed. The roads and foot-paths are, in many places, thickly strewed with their shells. Such of the trees as have been injured by them, and particularly the oaks, are beginning to put out new leaves, and to regain their lost verdure.

On the commons and waste lande I observe great numbers of the black horned beetle, Called Bull-comber (Scarabæus typheus), lying dead, and appearing perfectly dry and stiff.

The

The Stag-beetles (lucanus cervus) are in greater numbers this year than I have generally scen them; and I have caught some that were of unusually large size.

The Woodbine and Milk-thistle (Carduus marianus) are in flower.

June 24. I have hitherto seen only two glow-worms.

June 30. The mackrel fishermen have been at work almost every evening during the month; but, except one night, when about ten thousand were caught, they have nos beca successtol. The fish were of small size, but of excellent flavour."

Hampshire.

MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

THE grain crops of all sorts continue to have in general a promising appearance, especially in the midland and northern districts of the island, where much more rain has fallen than in those of the south during the present month; and the fine showers within these few days must have tended to fill the ears well. The Barleys are every where apparently very full crops; the Wheats in some cases rather thin and short in the ear; and the Oats likewise Occasionally short in the straw, with a deficient ear. In the more southern parts of the kinga dom, these crops, and especially the Wheats, are greatly more forward than in the above, where they have in common scarcely yet begun to turn.

The Bean and Pea crops are not by any means so promising, the former being in many situations short and not well podded, and the latter greatly injured by the excessive heat of the season.

The Potatoe crops have also undergone much injury by the long continued heat and dryness of the season, and consequently the deficiency of hoeing and casting up. It is to be feared that they will prove a deficient crop, at least upon most of the drier sorts of soil.

The lands which were sown with Turnips last month, where rain has fallen, have the 'crops now pushing into broad leaf; but in other cases, they have either been destroyed or are still to put in; much land being indeed yet to be sown with that crop.

The fruit orchards have suffered greatly, in several districts, from the violence of the winds, and the late bail storms.

The Hops continue in some measure promising, but would be greatly improved by rain. The fallows of the Wheat crops have undergone an excelent preparation, and will no doubt be in a fine state at sowing time.

Though the Hay harvest is mostly over in the south, there is still much grass to cut in the northern districts.

The deficiency of Grass, from the unusual heat and dryness of the season, has had the tendency of keeping up the prices of fat stock, while the same causes have had the effect of pre venting a rise in the prices of that of the lean kind.

The price of Grain still keeps its level, though there has been little or no advance in it since our last.

Current price of Grain.

In fat stock in Smithfield Market the variations have not been great.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.

Observations on the State of the Weather, from the 24th of May to the 24th of June, 1808, inclusive, Two Miles N.W. of St. Paul's.

corn,

The rain fallen since our account is equal to 4 inches in depth, of which the greater part fell on the 24th and 25th instant: previously to the 24th we had scarcely more than three showers during the month. Never was there a more propitious hay harvest. The rains now commenced (July 26) where the weight and violence are not sufficient to crush the standing will be of much service to the ground, which, by the late unusual heat, had nearly lost every trace of verdure. In the metropolis the first heavy showers were on the 21st; at this place, though at so short a distance, we had not rain sufficient to lay the dust of the roads till Sunday the 24th. On that and the 25th we had many violent and lasting rains, accompanied occasionally with thunder and lightning. In different parts of the kingdom, and even at a short distance south of London, the storms have been truly tryinendous, and accompanied with much mischief.

The leading meteorological feature of this month has been the extreme heat of the 12th, 13th, and 14th days. We have paid much attention to the state of the atmosphere, as the Reports in this work will shew, since January 1802, and remember nothing approaching to the heat of the days referred to.

In the summer of 1802 the greatest heat was 89° July 3.

1803

1804.

1805 1806 1807..

801 August 30.
85° Jane 25.
84° August 3.
79° July 4.
824 June 14.

839 July 18 and August 13.

We have used the same thermometer through the whole period, nor has the place been changed; it hangs on the outside of a window frame looking N. E. In this situation on the 12th it was as high as 8840, on the 13th 91°, and on the 14th it was at the astonishing height of 930 at which it continued nearly an hour. At the timber yard near Westminster Bridge we were informed it was at the same height. In a shop in Holborn on the 13th we saw thethermometer at 899, at a time that the shop appeared to the feelings very cool in comparison of the external air.

Mr. Capel Lofft, of Troston, writes, that on the 12th and 13th his thermometer stood both days at 910, and his observations were confirmed by those of a neighbour; and at Bury St. Edmunds the thermometer was at 93° on the 12th, and at 95° on the 13th. Mr. Lofft observes, that twenty seven years observation, very little interrupted, has never given me an equal result in two successive days, or even in a single day." At Troston the greatest heat was between twelve and two: it was not so in this place. Here it was the hottest about four o'clock; and this, as Mr. Lofft observes, is usually the hottest part of the day in this latitude, in the months of July and August. The average heat for the month is about 68, and the average height of the barometer is 30.07.

Astronomical Anticipations.

We have full moon on the 6th and new moon on the 21st of August: on the 7th she approaches the planet Jupiter, and on the 8th Jupiter will rise after the moon, but on this and the next evening they will be interesting objects for the telescope; as is also Saturn, which is to be seen in the western part of the heavens. Saturn's ring makes a fine appearance at present. The Herschel may likewise, with the aid of a good glass, be scen in the same quarter. Towards the middle of the month, Mercury will be visible before sun-rise. Venus is still an evening star, but too near the sun to be visible. To those possessed of good glasses, we may observe that Jupiter's first satellite will be eclipsed, visible here, on the 6th, at 16m. past one in the morning; on the 18th, at 10m. past three; on the 14th, at 39m. past nine in the evening; on, the 21st, at 33m. past eleven; and on the 29th, at 27m. past one in the

morning.

ERRATA in the quotation From Euripides, No. 172, p 497, for "A Tai Aožicu," read " w Tai Astion, and in the sixth line above, for "siccavit," read "exSICCADIN

In the Description of Lord Elgin's Antiquities, p. 519, line 9, for "Dr. Richard Worsley," read "Sir Richard Worsley."—Also, p. 520, line 33, for “ Tassier's," read I assie's.".

THE

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

No. 175.

SEPTEMBER 1, 1808. [2 of VOL. 26.

"As long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving to their Opinions a Maximum of "Influence and Celebrity, the oft extensively circulated Mifcellany will repay with the greatest Effect the Cariofity of those who read either for Amusement or Inftruction." JOHNSON,

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

For the Monthly Magazine.

LETTER II.

ON THE TEA PLANT.

Nec vero terræ ferre omnes omnia possunt.
Fluminibus salices, crassisque paludibus alni
Nascuntur, steriles saxosis montibus orni;
Littora myrtetis lætissima: denique apertos
Bacchus amat colles: aquilonem et frigora
Virgil, G. ii.

taxi.

N my first letter, which you deemed I worthy of a place in your Magazine for August, I intimated my intention of resuming the History of Tea, with its introduction into this kingdom.

So far as authentic accounts afford us mformation, China and Japan are the only countries where it is cultivated for use, and hence we may conclude, that it is indigenous to one, if not to both, of

them.*

About the year 1600 Texeira,† a Spaniard, saw the dried tea-leaves in Malacca, where he was informed the Chinese prepared a drink from this vegetable; and, in 1633, Oleariust found this practice prevalent among the Persians, who procured the plant under the name of Cha Orchia, from China, by means of the Usbeck Tartars. In 1639, Starkaw, the Russian ambassador at the court of the Mogul, Chau Altyn, partook of the infusion of tea; and, at his departure, was offered a quantity of it, as a present to the Czar Michael Romanof, which the ambassador refused, as being an article for which he had no use.

It was first introduced into Europe by the Dutch East India Company, early in the 17th century; and a quantity of it is said to have been brought over from Holland about the year 1666, by Lord Arlington and Lord Ossory; and it soon afterwards became known among people of fashion, and its use, by degrees, has become general. Anderson, in his Chromarks, that the first European author nological Deduction of Commerce, rethat, entions ten, wrote in the year 1590. But this subject had certainly been considered much earlier.t

Tea must, I think, have been introcribed to Lords Arlington and Ossory's duced into England prior to the time as return from Holland; for drinking tea, common, as a duty of four-pence per galeven in public coffee-houses, was not unin all coffee-houses, so early as 1660. By don was laid on the liquor made and sold cise on malt-liquor, cyder, perry, mead, an act made this year, the duties of exspirits, or strong waters, coffee, tea, sherbet, and chocolate, were settled on the king during his life. Then it was that

tioned in the statute-book. On the 29th coffee, tea, and chocolate, were first menof October, 1675, Charles II. dined with the corporation of London at Guildhall. At this feast the king afforded the citi zens cause of animadversion, in which they indulged themselves so much to his dissatisfaction, and that of his cabal ministry, that a proclamation was issued on the 20th of December of the same year, for shutting up and suppressing all coffee-houses; "because in such houses,