the neglect and ruin to which the whole place was subjected prior to the accession, in 1840, of John-Hamilton, eighth Earl of Stair, and uncle of the present noble proprietor, who restored the gardens and pleasure grounds to even more than their original magnificence. The tree, growing against an old wall untrained and unpruned, attracted attention, even in that neglected state, by its ripening, in fine seasons, abundant crops of fruit early

We have received a letter from Mr Fowler, the gardener at Castle-Kennedy, in which he says:

"The largest of the fruit (forced) is now past for the season, but I send you an average specimen. The last two seasons some of the fruit weighed nearly 7 oz., and measured close upon II inches round the thickest

part. I measured one the other day in the presence of two neighbouring proprietors, which was fully 9 inches in circumference. Planted out in the same house, and in every respect treated in the same manner

cellence of quality. Young plants grown as standards have frequently ripened fruit at Castle-Kennedy; and it has there been found vastly superior to any other variety either for forcing or wall-training. Compared with the well-known Brunswick fig (which the CastleKennedy resembles in colour), it is larger and more thickened towards the apex; and the flesh, which is reddish brown throughout, has an exquisite flavour.

than the White Marseilles, more than three weeks before the Brunswick, requiring little more than three earlier than the Brown Turkey, and quite a month months to mature its first crop. There is a peculiarity about it, which I have never observed in any other fig. When within a few days of being ripe it begins

to exude a pure, honey-like substance from its eye, of most exquisite flavour, which, when the fruit is fully ripe, becomes viscid, and hangs down like a clear crystal pendant."

Our engraving represents the specimen. sent to us by Mr Fowler.

A species remarkable for the unusual inflation of the sac formed by the lip, and its uniform delicate pale mauve colour.

Flower solitary, of a uniform pale mauve or pinkish purple colour, with the exception of the inferior sepals (united into one), which are greenish-brown. The lip very large, inflated, broadly oval, striated, and reticulated, the mouth contracted and crenated, with a white margin; within the base it is hairy, and spotted with purple. Sterile stamen, a flat minutely glandular disc pedunculated, from the back of which arises the elongato-cordate, petaloid lobe, of a pale reddish colour.

A stemmed species, 8 or 10 inches high, with long ribbed leaves enclosing the stem.

This is a Siberian species, and is said by Gmelin to be frequent throughout the country up to the 58° of north latitude, in open places or in woods of scattered birches. Amman found it at Tobolsk.

Sir William Hooker (then Dr Hooker) mentions in the "Botanical Magazine" (vol. lvi., tab. 2938), from which we have copied our figure of the flower, that seeds had often been sent by Dr Fischer of St Petersburg to the Glasgow Botanic Garden, but that he never succeeded in cultivating the plant until roots were sent by him.

broader.

Dorsal sepal white, richly striped with purple; petals brownish purple, streaked with

Leaves radical, distichous mottled.

It is a native of the Malayan Archipelago, and flowers in a damp stove in November.

Very nearly allied to C. barbatum and C. venustum (Wall). The chief distinction, according to Hooker, is the absence in this species of the warts on the upper edge of the

darker stripes, and at the base spotted with deeper purple. Lower sepal (two coalesced) greenish. Lip greenish purple, obscurely veined. Sterile stamen, very large reniform.