TO CORRESPONDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 1651, 4 August 1881, Page 4

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Enquirer, Auckland, writes:—"lt has b«en wagered that the eminent savan, Professor Huxley at some period, publicly lectured in one or more of tho Australasian colonies. Will you kindly oblige sovoral subscribers by stating whether he has, or has not done so ? His visit to and lecturing in the United States of America is, of course, too recent to admit of dispute " —In 1840, Professor Huxley was appointed to tho position of Assistant Surgeon on board 11.M.5. Eattlesnako when she was despatched on tho surveying oxpodition in tho South Pacific and Torres Straits He returned in 1350. Whether Dr. Huxley in thoseeariy days over delivered any lectures to tho few colonists who were in this quarter of the world then, we aro un. Australasia whore even a moderate audience could have been obtained, and wo think it is highly probable that Professor Huxley has never delivered alecturo on any subject in any of the Australasian colonies.

ti A o s "f cnIBER *ntes =-" I noticed in your issue of tho 23rd a cure for asthma. 1. Would you in tho ilrst placo give mo tho namo of tho weed in Enelish? 2 In tho second place, state whether it grows in New' Zealand ?"-l. If by English namo i. meant ono of those common nicknames by which tho identification of a plant Is rendored almost, if not wholly impossible we know of no such namo. Its namo is expressive of its character, and to those at all acquainted with the nomenclature of plants, no better or more expressive °f™° c . oul « b » « 08i «1. Mit indicates the, trlbf of plants to which it naturally bolongs, the name 3 of tho particular family in that tribe, and the most striking characteristic by which it may readily bo recogH from other allied families of plants. All scientific aarnes appear strange to those ignorant of the subjects to which thoy relate, but an acquaintanco with tho subject at onco shows tho adaptability of such terms The same principle holds good in all branches of secular and theological knowledge, from tho terms daily used in agriculture to tho most recondite terms in geometry, mathematics, or any other science. No change of torms can supply the lack of special know-umftho,-J» Opan ( tlsaD ? tivo or toP'™ l countries, and though it might grow in the northern portions of Now Zealand it has to bo proved whether the reported Zfor^ In t ? IV,t1 V , t f t ; e3 ™«l;l bo developed in a cUrnato colder than that of which it was a native Mr J idson, chemist, Queen-street, sells tho dried plant put up in small tins, so that those desirous of trying tho dotagfo *° f th " Plan ' haV " an °PP°rtanity of