OUR prefent report must be devoted to pay our arrears of the enumeration and examination of the phænogamic plants of English Botany.

In the Number for November, 1808, we meet with an addition to the British Fiora, the Pyrola media of Swartz, in the Stockholm tranfactions, having been discovered by Mr. Winch in Scots'-wood Dean, near Newcastle; alfo in Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire. It has been confounded, Dr. Smith obferves, with P. minor, and feems intermediate between that and rotundifolia. It has a twisted flower-ftalk; but the character drawn from the pofition of the ftamens, "regularly incurved round the germen," we fufpect, will prove fallacious, knowing, that in fome fpecies at leaft, the pofition changes according to the stage of flowering.

Sedum fexangulare, firft figured in the Flora Londinenfis. Hudfon, in his fecond edition of his Fiora Anglica, confiders this plant as only a variety of Sedum cre; from which it differs fo materially, that Dr. Smith wonders how any fyftematic botanit could confound them. It is alfo different in its qualities, being totally void of the aerid pungency of S. acre.

Epilobium anguftifotium; fo common in gardens, that it may moft probably have been diffeminated from thence; it feems, however, to be perfectly naturalized in many places in the north, particularly on Cheviot Hills, and in Teafdale. Had it been a native in Ray's time, fo confpicuous a plant which lafts fo long in flower, could hardly have efcaped the refearches of the botanists of his day.

Epilobium tetragonum: Dr. Smith confeffes to have been sometimes puzzled between this plant, and E. rofeum of Schreber; and thinks it may ftill admit of a doubt, how far they are really diftinét,

Afpidium criftatum, Polypodium criftatum of Linnæus, found near Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, alfo in Scotland; and very diftinct from A. dilatatum, long mittaken for P. criftatum.

Afplenium Adiantum-nigrum,

For December, we have Lactuca viofa, the one here figured as the variety with undivided leaves. In the neighbourhood of London, where this plant is very coinmou, we have never met with any other; we fufpect, therefore, that the variety with jagged leaves may be a diftinct fpecies, not occurring in this part of the fland

Salix phylicifolia L. This is the S. railicans of Flora Britannica; the latter name is therefore to be expunged; Dr Smith having, upon the trees producing its female catkins, been able to afcertain the fpecies with more certainty. Salix proftrata of Fiora Britannica, found by Mr. Dickfon in Scotland, and alfo on Epping Forreft, by Mr. Edward Forfter.

Salix fufca. It would have been much more fatisfactory, if Dr. Smith had given a figure of both fexes; this is a male plant, the two former female plants, as is the following.

1

Salix parvifolia. A new fpecies: and the next,

Salix afcendens, is a male plant, the female catkins are mentioned as correfponding with the preceding; and were we to judge from the figures and descriptions here given, we should confider them as the male and female of the fame fpecies. This a very difficult genus; and in order to the fatisfactory illuftration of it, figures of the male and female plants, and of a young not flowering branch are all wanted on the latter the leaves are often remarkably different, and the itipulæ only to be met with. We are, however, obliged to Dr. Smith for

what he has done.

In January Number we find Hordeum murinum. "A worthlefs grafs," and moft common by the wayfides, under walls, &c. Dr. Smith calls it, in English, Wall, or Moufe Barley. It has, by Ray and Hudson, been called wall barley; and the Lexicon makers have generally quoted the Hordeum marinum of Pliny, as an example of murinus, from murus. A wall, Dr. Smith, by adding the name of moufe barley, we fuppofe, means to tranflate the latin name; and in this tranflation he appears to us, to be perfectly right. We can fee no reafon, to fuppofe that Pliny meant to give a different fignification to the word here than elfewhere; he has often mentioned murinum fimum, moule dung; and why it should be imagined that in this inftance, he ufed it for murale, which no other Roman writer has done, we cannot guefs.

Galium uliginosum. This plant has not been well understood, and no certain figure has been given of it before.

Myofotis paluftris. In his Flora Britannica, Dr. Smith had followed Linnæus, in confidering the M. arvenfis and paluftris as only varieties of the fame fpecies; but feveral of the later Englih Botanifts, particularly Withering, Hull, Relhan, and Abbot, had after Haller made them diftinct by the remarks of Dr. Roth and his friend Trentepohl, Dr. Smith is now convinced that they are really fo We ftill think, however, that this queftion cannot be fairly decided but by a careful cultivation in different foils and fituations.,

Alliam vineale, or crow garlick. Dr Withering tells us, that the young leaves are very commonly boiled in foups. The taste of them raw, is, however, intolerably acrid and naufeous, and fo durable in the mouth that it is difficult to get rid of it. Can there be any truth

in a notion propagated by fome German writer, that the excellent flavour of larks is owing to their feeding on this plant? It is more certain that the butter of cows, that have eaten it, is not mended in its flavour.

In February Number we have Scirpns carinatus, a new fpecies, found on the Thames near Weftminster bridge, for which Dr. Smith is indebted to Mr. Edward Forster for pointing out its diftinguishing characters from the common bull-rufh, of which it was before confidered as *a mere variety.

Bromus arvenfis; B-fpiculitenuata of Knapp, which Dr. Smith now difcovers to be the true Bromus arvenfis of Linnæus; under which name, he fays, two fpecies have been confounded in England. The former plant given under this apellation he therefore now calls Bromus pratenfis.

Potamogeton lanceolatum, a new fpecies, from the lakes of North-Wales, communicated by the Rev. H. Davies. Dr. Smith queries if this can be the fetaceum of Hudson, a species that no one knows?

aquatilis, with which it has been united by fome botanifts. We have ftill, however, our doubts; the latter fpecies is fo truly polymorphous according to the fituation in which it grows. We think we have feen plants exactly refembling Ranunculus bederaceus growing in places where the water had entirely left the foil, and gradually putting on the appearance of R. aquatilis as it approached the deeper water, where the latter only appeared. In thefe there could hardly be a doubt of their being the offspring of the fame parent.

The Number for May contains Antirrhinum minus, which finishes all the British species of Antirrhinum. It is often to be met with in Batterfea-field, and other corn-fields, where the foil is particularly light.

Hypericum calycinum; the large-flowered Hypericum, fo very common in gardens, is here fuppofed to grow wild in Ireland.

Gnaphalium margaritaceum, given by Dillenius, in Ray's Synopfis, as a denizen of this inland. It is, however, probably of American origin; but having been formerly a favourite in every cottage-garden through the land, it is not to be wondered at, if it should have establifhed itself in many parts, where it appears perfectly wild.

Erigeron canadenfe is precifely under the fame circumftances as the laft-mentioned plant, except that it never has been so univerfally cultivated. Dr. Smith observes, that he has not obferved it in the neighbourhood of London; we have feen it upon the tops of walls in feveral places.

Equisetum arvense, paluftre, and fluviatile. The first resemble one another very much, except in lize; but Mr. J. D. Sowerby has difcovered an excellent fpecific difference, in the angles of the branches, each of which terminating in a tooth, is double in fluviatile, but not so in arvense.

NATURALIST'S MONTHLY REPORT.

MAY

Leaving Month,

All that is fweet to smell, all that can charm
Or eye or ear, bursts forth on every fide,
And crowds upon the fenfes.

TOWARDS the commencement of the month we had a good deal of rain. The 7th was ▲ very fine and hot day; and the fame beautiful weather continued till the 19th, the evening of which was cold and rainy. There was fome thunder on the 19th. On the 14th, 15th, and 16th, the thermometer, in the fhade, was as high as 68°. The laft days of May were unreasonably cold; and in several parts of the south of England, particularly in Devonshire and Cornwall, there was much rain.

May 1. A Dormouse was brought to me in its hybernaculum, and still in a torpid state. From this state it did not perfectly recover, though placed in a cage in a warm room, till the 10th, when, for the first time, it came out of its ueft in search of food.

Cuckoo flowers (Cardamine pratensis,) are seen in all the moist meadows; and I this day, for the first time, heard the fong of the cuckoo. It has, however, been heard by others nearly a week ago.

The medicinal leeches begin to fwim amongst the weeds in the rivers; and the perfons who catch them for fale, have obtained a confiderable number.

The hornbeam, (carpinus cetulus,) fycamore, (acer pfeudoplatumus,) common bugle, (ajuga reptans,) wild cicely, (Cherophyllum fylveftra,) and male fool's orchis, (orcbis mafcula,) are ju flower.

May 5th. The house martins are beginning to build their nests. They are later in this operation than I recollect them to have been for feveral years past.

The fedge warbler fings.

The buds of the hawthorn flowers begin to appear white. There will be a great abundance of thefe flowers this year.

May 10th. Cock chafers, (Scarabæus melolonthia,) are feen in the evenings about the trees and hedges, in fwarms as great as during any of the late feafons, It is fingular, that, although thefe,deftructive infects are so abundant in Hampshire, yet in the counties weftward, particularly in Devonshire and Cornwall, there are very few indeed of them.”

The following wild plants, are in flower: Lily of the valley, Croffwæt, (Galium cruciatum) common avens, (Geum urbanum,) twaył lade, (ophrys ovata,) common vetch, (wicia fativa,) bush vetch, (vicia fepium,) foxglove, (Digitalis purpurea,) oppofite leaved golden saxifrage, (Chryfofplenium oppofitifolium,) yellow-wood pimpernell, (Lyfimachia nemorum,) and conmon bird's foot, (Ornithopus perpufillus.) May 15th. The orange-tip butterflies, (Papilio Cardamines,) the caterpillars, or larve of wh ch, feed on the leaves of the cuckoo flower, are flying, in greater numbers than I have generaly remark、d. May 17th. A temale, of the Emperor moth, (Bombyx pavonus of Haworth,) this day came forth from its chryfalis. This chryfalis was mentioned in the report for September Jaft, as probably

probably that of Bombyx tauus, but as I afterwards stated, it really belonged to the present fpecies.

The flycatchers, (musicapa grifola,) appear.

The young eels have commenced their migration from the neighbourhood of the sea, to the more diftant parts of the rivers.

May 16. The red admiral butterfly, (papilio atalanta) appears.

May 22. I this day obferved the yellow wagtail, (motacilla Bava.)

Sheil fnails, particularly thofe of the fpecies Helix Hortenfis, or common garden fnail, copulate. The little triangular fpiculæ, or darts, fo often spoken of, were found upon the bodies of feveral of them.

Silkworms are hatched.

May 26. Peafe, beans, and wheat, are in flower; as are alfo the wild clary, (falvia verbenaca,) officinal fumitory, (fumaria officinalis,) and yellow flag, (iris pfeudacous.) May 29. The tadpoles of the common frog have loft their gills, and get their hind legs, but ftiil retain their tails.

May 31.

The fern chafers, (fcarabæus horticola,) appear; and the white hedge rofes, on the petals of which they feem principally to feed, are in flower.

Hampshire.

Eriatum in the last month's Report, p. 531, line 5 from the bottom, for plinus, read ptinus.

MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

THE great drynefs and heat of the weather, during these few weeks, after the previons cold and moift feafon, have brought forward the grain crops in a very unexpected manner, and afforded the appearance of a very promifing harvest in moft diftricts. The pea and bean crops are in fome fituations tolerably fair; but in others, efpecially on the more light gravelly foils, they are frequently deficient, both in ftem and pod. The potatoes are for the most part promifing.

The turnip fallows have been well prepared in moft places; and the extent of land fown: within these few last weeks is very confiderable in all the fouthern parts of the kingdom, likewife in fome of the more northern diftricts.

The grafs, in the bay diftricts, is not by any means fo full a crop as was expected, being in many places very light, and fhrinking greatly in the making. In the fouthern counties, efpecially near London, much has been already carried in excellent condition; but in the inland parts of the island there is yet but little cut, the growth being so very backward.

The fruit diftricts prefent a very indifferent aspect this year, there being but few apples. The pears have, however, in fome places, fucceeded more favourably.

The prices of grain fill continue pretty much the fame. At the Corn Exchange, on the Jaft market day, the average prices were as follow:-Wheat, 88s. 8d. per quarter; Barley, 44s. 4d.; and Oats, 31s. 8d.

In Smithfield, the prices of meat were:-Beef, from 5s. to 6s. per ftone of 81b.; Mutton, 4s. 8d. to 5s. 4d; Veal, 5s. to 6s.; Pork, 5s. 4d to 6s; and Lamb, 5s. to 6s. 4d. In smithfield Market, Hay fetches from 51. to 61. 6s. per load; Clover, from 61. 10s.' to 71. 10s.; and Straw, from 11. 10s. to 11. 169.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.

Observations on the State of the Weather, from the 24th of May, to the 24th of June, 1809, inclusive, Four Miles N.N.W. of St. Paul's.

Barometer.

Thermometer.

The quantity of rain fallen in this neighbourhood during the month is but trifling, it will be noticed in the next report. On feveral days there have been fhowers, but not heavy rains. The thermometer has been 9 days as ligh, or higher, than 70°; and once it has been 79°, as is mentioned above; and on the next day, viz. on the 21, it was as high as 78°. The average temperature for the whole month is a little more than 58°, or about 20 higher

than

that it was for the month of May. This is full 3o fhort of the average temperature for June

1808.

The most remarkable circumftance which has occurred during this month, was the very high wind on the 1ft inftant; it did væft inifchief to the trees, and in many parts of the country, as well as in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, it ruined the beautiful foliage which the fpring had every where exhibited: we have feen in fome of the midland and western countries, in confequence of the florm, a number of trees that have more the appearance of Autumn than of Jane.

ASTRONOMICAL ANTICIPATIONS for JULY, 1809. New moon will be on the evening of the 12th, at 18 minutes paft fix; and full moon on. the night of the 26th, at 14 minutes paft ten. The planet Herfchel, or Georgium Sidus, will be up in the evenings. On the night of the 1ft he will fet at 29 minutes past twelve, on the night of the 11th, at 48 minutes past eleven, on the night of the 218, at seven minutes paft eleven, and on the evening of the 318, at 26 minutes past ten. Till the 15th, his apparent motion will be retrograde, after which he will become direct. He will be ftationary in 5° 34′ of the fign Scorpio, at which time the ftar a in the balance will be 6° 50′ more advanced in longitude than the planet, the difference of latitude being only about 32 minutes of a degree, the fear being to the fouth. On the 29th, at half paft feven, (morning) this planet will be in quartile alpect with the fun, i. e. one-fourth of the circumference of the heavens, apparently distant from him. Saturn will be an evening ftar. On the last day of the month, he will come into conjunction with the 8, a ftar of the fourth magnitude, in the conftellation of Libra, when their difference of latitude will be 1° 31', the planet being to the fouth. Jupiter will be up in the mornings, and, toward the end of the month, almost the whole night. If the weather be favourable, four immersions, and one emerfion of Jupiter's fatellites, will be vifible to Great Britain. On the morning of the 3d, at 2m. 50f. before one, and on the morging of the 26th, at 6m. 29f. after one, the first fatellite may be obferved to immerge totally (as feen from the earth) into its primary's fhadow. On the fame morning, with the latter immersion of the first fatellite, will take place a vifible immerfion of the fecond fatellite. On the night of the 27th, at 57m. 261 paft eleven, the third fatellite may be feen' to enter into Jupiter's fhadow, and likewife to come out of it again at 25m. 14f. past two, the following morning. Jupiter will fquare the fun on the afternoon of the 16th, at half past two. The planet Mars, may be feen in the evenings for two or three hours after fun-fet. evening of the 7th, he will come into conjunction with the notable ftar of the firft magnitude, in the contellation of the Virgin, commonly known by the Virgin's Spike, at which time the star will be only 1° 19′ to the fouth of the planet. Venus will make a fplendid appearance every favourable morning, towards the north east and east. On the 1ft, fhe rifes at 41 minutes past one, (worning) on the 11th, at 23 minutes past one, ou the 21st at 6 minutes paft one, and on the 30th, at 56 minutes past twelve, (night.) On the 9th, fhe will come into conjunction with the 18 of the Bull, a tar of the fourth magnitude, the far being nine minutes of a degree to the north. On the fame day he will be in contact with the of the bull, another star of the fourth magnitude. Mercury, will fcarcely be visible to the naked eye all this month, on account of his proximity to the fun, and great fouth latitude. June 22, 1809.

On the

ASTRONOMUS.

Owing to an Error of the Engraver, the Representation of the Ancient Monument and Inscriptions near Aberdeen cannot be given, as was intended, in the present Number; it will, however, be introduced with the Supplementary Number, which will be published on the 30th of July..

In regard to the periodical Complaints of our Friends, that they are not regularly served with the Supplementary Number, and that their Volumes, in consequence, are rendered incomplete, we must refer them to their local Booksellers, whose Du y it is to deliver the Supplement to the last Volume, with the first Number of the new Volume. AMICUS, at Buenos Ayres, is informed that we always respect Communications from Residents, relative to the present State of Foreign Countries, Colonies, and Settlements; and we shall be exceedingly obliged to him, and to all Persons similarly situated. for such Commnnications.

Our Readers in general are informed, that, as the Communication with the Continent is now partially opened, after being closed for two Years, during which Time the Foreign Literary Journals have been in Arrears, our Notices and Extracts of Foreign Literature will be resumed as soon as possible.

--

ERRATUM. In the Note, at pr. 556, for "correct copy of it," read" correct copy of the above speech."