calyx (the fruit of the original species being unknown), belong to the allied and older genus Nissolia. Chatocalyx Wislizeni, Gray, is the same as Nissolia platycarpa, Benth. C. Schottii must take the name of Nissolia Schotti A. G. 6. J. D. Hooker's Flora Tasmania,-the third and concluding part of the Botany of the Antarctic Voyage under Capt. Ross,—is now finished in parts 10 and 11, issued by the enterprising publisher, Lovell Reeve, in February last. The work makes two large quarto volumes, with 200 colored plates. Part 10 concludes the Alga (by Dr. Harvey) and contains the Lichenes (the foliaceous ones by Mr. Babington, the crustaceous by Mr. Mitten), also a series of additions and corrections to the earlier part of the work. The letter-press of part 11 is entirely occupied, excepting the key to the genera, by the Introductory Essay upon the Botany of Tasmania and of Australia in general, of 128 pages, which admirable production may claim to be regarded as the most profound and far-reaching discussion of the abstruse theoretical questions bearing upon the origin and distribution of species which has ever been attempted. though the literary composition bears some marks of haste, the subjectmatter has been elaborated with great care, and in a manner at once bold, independent, and conscientious, opening new views and propounding new problems of the widest interest and, we may add, of the utmost difficulty. The more generally interesting portions of this essay are reproduced in the present volume of this Journal. A. G. Al 7. Poison of Plants by Arsenic.-It may be recollected that Professor Davy of Dublin last year reported to the Gardener's Chronicle (whence extracts were transferred to our pages*) the results of his experiments which went to show that some plants might with impunity be watered even with a saturated aqueous solution of arsenious acid; that the plants took up this arsenic and accumulated it in their tissues, to such an extent that traces of this metal were discoverable in the bodies of animals fed upon vegetables so treated. These astonishing results naturally excited enquiry. They have now been contradicted in a late number of the Pharmaceutical Journal (as we learn from the Gardener's Chronicle for March 10) by Mr. Ogston, an analytical and agricultural chemist, formerly a pupil of Prof. Graham. Mr. Ögston finds that, on watering the ground around the roots of some vigorous Cabbage plants, some months old, with a saturated solution of arsenious acid, in every trial, after two doses at intervals of three days, the plants died within the week. The same occurred with Scotch Kale, the only other plant subjected to the experiment. On testing the dead plants arsenic was detected only in the portion of the stem close to the roots, and which showed in its darkened color the marks of disease. In no case was any of the poison found in the leaves, or in the stem at more than five inches above the ground. Prof. Davy also startled the English agriculturists and medical jurists by calling attention to the fact that arsenic exists in the commercial superphosphate of lime, at least in certain kinds, coming from the iron pyrites used in the manufacture of the sulphuric acid employed in the production of the superphosphate, which arsenic, if plants may accumulate it in their tissues, would be conveyed * Vol. xxviii, p. 443, 1859. to the flesh of animals fed with turnips manured with such superphosphate, and so conveyed to the human system,-if not in quantity sufficient to poison, yet enough to account for the presence of arsenic in cases of death from supposed poisoning. Mr. Ögston now considers the question as to how much arsenic an agricultural crop (say of turnips) can obtain from an ordinary dressing of the superphosphate so prepared. "Take a very bad sample of pyrites to contain 30 per cent of arsenic, and consider, as is the case, that in the manufacture of oil of vitriol, one-half of this is stopped by condensation in the flues; 15 per cent will remain in relation to the pyrites, or about 10 in relation to the manufactured oil of vitriol. Now suppose the superphosphate made from this acid to contain 20 per cent of it as a constituent, and that 3 cwt. are used as a dressing per acre, there will be added to this acre 07 of a pound of arsenic, and this is to be distributed among from 20 to 25 tons of roots, giving a percentage infinitely small, and in my opinion relieving us from the necessity of the smallest anxiety on the subject. If, however, even this quantity is objectionable, the use of the Belgian pyrites, in which I have never found a trace of arsenic, would obviate all difficulty." A. G. 8. Botanical Necrology for the year 1859.-The following are the principal names upon this obituary record-Some of them we have nained before more briefly. C. A. Agardh, Professor of Botany in the University of Lund, Sweden, from 1812 to 1834, when he became bishop of Carlstad; a voluminous writer upon botanical and other subjects, especially upon Algae, and a distinguished and remarkable man. His earliest publication, a thesis upon the Carices of Scania, was published in the year 1806. He died on the 28th of January, 1859 at the age of 75 years. He was succeeded in his professorship by his son C. A. Agardh, the distinguished algologist. Arthur Henfrey, Professor of Botany in King's College, London. The death, after a short illness, on the 7th of September last, of this amiable man and excellent vegetable anatomist, at the early age of 39 years, has has already been recorded in this Journal, (vol. 28, p. 443). In his field of research and in his knowledge of the literature of the subject, especially that of the Germans, he had no rival in Great Britain, and his death is deeply felt. Dr. Thomas Horsfield, born in Pennsylvania, after completing his medical studies in Philadelphia he passed sixteen years in Java and the adjacent islands, in the service of the government, devoting much of his time to botanical and zoological researches; and the long remainder in a responsible position at the India House, in London. A selection only of his botanical collections was published by Mr. Brown and Mr. Bennett, under the title of Planta Javanica Rariores, etc.-a most important work. Dr. Horsfield died, on the 14th of July last, in the 86th year of his age. A. L. S. Lejeune, a venerable Belgian botanist, died at Verviers, at the very close of the year 1858, in the 80th year of his age. Thomas Nuttall, born at Settle, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, in the year 1784, may yet be reckoned as one of our own American botanists, since he came to the United States when only 22 years of age, and SECOND SERIES, VOL. XXIX, No. 87.-MAY, 1860. made here his whole scientific career. He returned indeed to his native land in the year 1842, and took possession of a handsome estate bequeathed by his uncle, where he indulged his fondness for horticulture; but his only botanical publication in these later years was made at Philadelphia, and elaborated during a visit to this country in 1852. His writings are intimately connected with the history of North American Botany, and his personal biography is very interesting. A full account of these is given By Mr. Durand, in an excellent address delivered to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, and in an article by Mr. Meehan in his Gardener's Monthly for January, 1860. A critical estimate of Mr. Nuttall's contributions to science must be deferred to another occasion. He died at his residence, Nutgrove, near Preston, Lancashire, on the 10th of September last, aged 75 years. ZOOLOGICAL NOTICES. A. G. 1. A trip to Beaufort, N. Carolina; by WM. STIMPSON, M.D.-The vicinity of Cape Hatteras, the most projecting point of our coast south of New York, has a peculiar interest for the student of zoology. This cape, which divides the Areniferous region* into two nearly equal parts, the Virginian and Carolinian provinces, is remarkable for the exhibition of a fauna more tropical in character than that of either of these provinces, as will be shown below. This is an evident result of its proximity to the Gulf Stream, the warm waters of which are even said to be deflected directly upon the Cape after violent southeast gales. Beaufort, N. C., which lies several miles WSW from the Cape, in latitude 35° N. is the only convenient point of departure for explorations in the waters of the vicinity. Some account of the zoological richness of this locality was kindly communicated to me by Capt. J. D. Kurtz, U.S. A., and influenced by a desire of completing a catalogue of the shells of our Atlantic shores, and particularly of procuring and examining a species of Lingula said to be found on the southern coast, I undertook its exploration in the month of March last, in company with my friend Mr. Theodore Gill. The harbor of Beaufort is situated at one of the southern outlets of Pamlico Sound, where it joins Bogue Sound. It is shallow and much obstructed by extensive shoals. Centre-board boats only can be used, except in the deeper channels, which are mostly narrow. The bottom is generally sandy, but that of the deep channels is shelly, and that of the shallower channels often muddy. Outside the harbor and off the coast, the depth never exceeds eight fathoms within a few miles of the land, with a variable bottom, sometimes "sticky" or clayey. These bottoms were all pretty thoroughly raked with the dredges. The beaches were also examined for those bivalve shells which perforate the sand to a *The eastern coast of the United States may be conveniently divided into three regions, viz.-the Rupiferous, Areniferous, and Coralliferous, named from the character of the shores. The Rupiferous or rocky region extends from our northern limit to Cape Cod, or Long Island. The Areniferous or sandy region,-in which there are no rocks whatever and scarce even a pebble except where human agency has been at work-reaches from Long Island to North Florida. The Coralliferous region is characterised by the presence of reef-coral, and includes the peninsular of Florida. Each of these regions has its peculiar fauna, the distinctness of which, enhanced by the two great causes of difference of latitude and diversity of ground, is too well known to require further comment here. depth beyond the reach of the dredge and are only exposed by the eroding action of the breakers during heavy storms. In following these beaches we observed a decided increase of the tropical character in the shells as we proceeded eastward toward the Cape. In order to show the character of the fauna and the results of our explorations I have given below a catalogue of the Mollusca and higher Crustacea which occurred during our short stay, which seems to be the most concise and satisfactory method. A few prefatory remarks of a general character will not be out of place. Geologists will be interested to notice the occrrence of several species hitherto known only as Tertiary fossils, such as species of Axinaea, Lucina, Astarte, Amphidesma, Tellidora, Myalina, Panopaea, Entalis, and Columbella. These were found either alive or in such condition as showed them to be recent shells, which would doubtless have been found alive upon further search. The occurrence of Myalina subovata is interesting, although our specimens of this species, as of Amphimesma constricta, are not certainly recent, being only single valves. Of the beautiful Tellidora lunulata we obtained several living examples, some attaining a length of nearly two inches. Among the shells of a tropical character several species will be noticed which have not hitherto been found north of the West Indies, and do not exist upon the South Carolina coast. The large Cassis to which we have applied the name C. cameo is identical with the common cameoshell of the Bahamas, which usually figures in collections under the name of C. madagascarensis. Of this we obtained several fine specimens on the beaches, none living however. In the following catalogues all species of which the identifications is at all doubtful are indicated by the mark of interrogation. In the collection made at Beaufort and now deposited in the Smithsonian Institution a considerable number of new genera and species occur. We add descriptions of two of the most interesting. LINGULA PYRAMIDATA. Shell greenish-white, elongated-ovate, convex, regularly tapering from the middle to the summit with an outline very slightly convex; also a little tapering toward the extremity, which is less than two-thirds as wide as the middle, and subtruncate with broadly rounded corners. Surface smooth and glossy; lines of increment inconspicuous, but sufficiently distinct near the margins; two or three of them however at irregular intervals sometimes projecting more strongly, indi |