LUMINOUS FLOWERS. Among the earliest observers of phosphorescent flowers may be mentioned a young Swedish girl, the daughter of Linnæus, the eminent naturalist. While walking in the garden one sultry night, she saw what was described as a “lightning-like phosphorescence” about the flowers of the nasturtium (_Tropæolum majus_). The sparks, or flashes, were also visible early in the morning, but, curiously enough, were not apparent in complete darkness; the time between day and night evidently being the most favorable for the exhibition. This observation was made in 1762, and the young girl lived to the advanced age of ninety-six, often repeating the story. In 1843 Mr. Dowden, an English botanist, noted a similar display in the double variety of a common marigold. Several friends were with him at the time; and, by shading the flower, they distinctly saw a golden-colored lambent light playing from petal to petal, so that an almost uninterrupted corona was formed about the disk. Others have observed this peculiarity in this flower and in the hairy red poppy (_Papaver pilosum_). A correspondent of the “Gardner’s Chronicle” writes, “We witnessed (June 10, 1858) this evening, a little before nine o’clock, a very curious phenomenon. There are three scarlet verbenas, each about nine inches high, and about a foot apart, planted in front of the greenhouse. As I was standing a few yards from them, my attention was arrested by faint flashes of light passing backwards and forwards from one plant to the other. I immediately called the gardener and several members of my family, who all witnessed the extraordinary sight, which lasted for about a quarter of an hour, gradually becoming fainter, till at last it ceased altogether. There was a smoky appearance after each flash, which we all particularly remarked. The ground under the plants was very dry; the air was sultry, and seemed charged with electricity. The flashes had the exact appearance of summer lightning in miniature. This was the first time I had ever seen any thing of the kind; and having never heard of such appearances, I could hardly believe my eyes. Afterwards, however, when the day had been hot and the ground was dry, the same phenomenon was constantly observed at about sunset, and equally on the scarlet geraniums and verbenas. In 1859 it was again seen. On Sunday evening, June 10, of that year, my children came running in to say that the lightning was again playing on the flowers. We all saw it; and again on July 11, I thought that the flashes of light were brighter than I had ever seen them before.”