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MK. J. O. baker's MONOGRAPn OF BTITTTSII ROSES. 197 



A Monograph of tj>c British Eoscs. 

 By J. G. BxKm, F.L.S. &c. 



[Reixd March IS, 18G9.] 



For a considerable time I have made the British Eoscs a sub- 

 ject of special attention. Till lately I lived in a country district 

 exceedingly rich in forms, and gathered and distributed during 

 each of several consecutive years many hundreds of specimens. 

 In 186i I contributed to a journal, circulating principally amongst 

 the working naturalists of the north of England, a review, more 

 particularly, of the North-of-Eugland forms, and issued a set of 

 specimens in illustration of tlie written notes. This paper Mr. 

 Boswell Syme did me the honour of adopting as the basis of liis 

 account of the genus in the tliird edition of ' English Botany/ 

 At the time, and since, I have been repeatedly urged by corre- 

 spondents at home and abroad to undertake a more complete and 

 systematic monograph of the British species, embracing a full 

 enumeration and description of the forms which we possess, and 

 a recapitulation of their synonymy in continental books, and their 

 distribution beyond the limits of our own island. This it is my 

 purpose now to attempt, and to lay the result before the Linnean 

 Society, in whose Transactions, now more than half a century 

 ago, was published the Monograph by Woods, which has ever 

 since been the standard of reference on the subject. 



I have had the opportunity of examining all the principal 

 public collections in this country, including those of Linna)us, 

 Smith, and Woods at the Linnean Society, of Buddie, Plukenet, 

 and the general collection at the British Museum, of Turner, 

 Hooker, Borrcr, and a set from Lindley and Besser at Kew, and of 

 Winch and Eobertson at the Newcastle Museum— and, of private 

 collections, have been entrusted for leisurely examination with 

 those of Mr. Watson, Professor Babington, Dr. Moore, Mr. Bos- 

 well Syme, and Professor Oliver. For a liberal supply of speci- 

 mens from the districts where they live I am indebted to Mr. 

 T. E. A. Briggs, of Plymouth, Eev. A. Bloxam, of Tw}^cro8s, 

 Dr. St. Brody, of Gloucester, Mr. Webb, of Liverpool, Mr. 

 Bromwich, of Myton, in AVarwickshire, and Mr, Jas. Ward, of 

 Eichmond, in Yorkshire, With the three botanists upon the Con-^ 

 tinent who of late years have particularly devoted themselves to 

 the genus, M. Alfred Deseglise in France, Dr. Eapin in Switz- 

 erland and Professor Crepin in Belgium, I have had the lionour 



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