62 BOTANICAL NEWS.
We are glad to hear that the Bev. A. Bloxam, so well known for his critical acquaintance with Hoses and Brambles, has been presented to the living of Harborough Magna, near Rugby.
Tlie first part of vol. iv. of the ' Refugium Botanicum ' has appeared.
It has been decided that this year's meeting of the British Association in Edinburgh shall commence on August 2nd. Active steps are being already taken by the scientific societies of the city to afford a suitable reception.
Dr. Hermann Beigel, a contributor to our pages, and who is now with the army of General Mauteuflel, was decorated, on the 4th of January, with the order of the Iron Cross, which can only be gained by personal bravery on the field of battle.
Dr. George Lawson, formerly of Edinburgh, now Professor of Chemistry and Mineralogy in Dalhousie College and University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, has published a monograph of the Raiiunculacea of Canada aiul the adja- cent" parts of British America, with a detailed account of the distribution, within these limits, of all the species.
The following is taken from the 'Times:' — The magnificent collection of Orchids at the Museum of Natural History, in Paris, having been in great part destroyed by the German shells, M. Chevreul, the Director of the Museum, has addressed to the Academy of Sciences the following protest: — "The garden of medicinal plants, founded in Paris by an edict of King Louis XIIL, dated January 3rd, 1626, became a Museum of Natural History on the 23rd of May, 1794. It was bombarded in the reign of William I., King of Prussia, Count Bismarck being chancellor, by the Prussian army, on the night of the 8th and 9th of January, 1871. Until then it had been respected by all parties, and by all national and foreign authorities. — Paris, January 9th, 1871." The Academy has de- termined that the protest of M. Chevreul shall be printed at the head of its reports, and the Committee of Professors of the jNIuseum have decided that a marble monument, with an inscription of the protest, shall be placed in one of the galleries of the building, surrounded with projectUes thrown from the enemy's batteries.
The first number of the ' Scottish Naturalist, and Journal of the Perth- shire Society of Natural Science' is before us, consisting of thirty-two well-printed pages on toned paper. Entomology is strongly represented in this number, and there is a paper on " Natural Science Chairs in our Universities," by Dr. Lauder Lindsay. The only botanical article is a short review of Dr. Hooker's ' Student's Flora,' but there are two or three cuttings. We hope the department, in which we take especial interest, which is headed " Phytology " will be extended in future numbers. There are also reports of the doings of six Scotch local societies. We congratu- late the Perthshire naturalists on their creditable periodical, wdiich we hope will meet with the support it deserves.
Mr. Howne, Secretary of the Largo Naturalists' Pield Club, is com- piling a catalogue of the plants of Fifeshire for publication.
An interesting paper on the introduction of Maize into China, written some years since by our valued correspondent, Dr. Hance, assisted by Mr. Mayers, has been printed in the ' Pharmaceutical Journal.' It has hitherto" been considered almost certain that this cereal was introduced from America; with the object, therefore, of discovering whether it was culti- vated in China previous to the discovery of that continent, Mr. Mayers
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