174 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



notice. In doing so, be careful to impress the fact that this 

 is not the case of a single bush, but that the form occurs in 

 different localities more or less distant from each other. 

 When you write, tell me if it grows mixed with R. coriifolia. 

 Do its bushes resemble those of this last species, or can one 

 distinguish the one from the other at a distance ? 



" One might ask if R. sub-coriifolia may not be a hybrid ; 

 but I do not see what crossing could have produced it." 



It will be seen from the above that M. Crepin does 

 not know very well what to make of R. sub-coriifolia. 

 There is nothing about it which would lead me to consider 

 it as a hybrid, apart from the difficulty of conceiving what the 

 two species could be that produced it. In general appear- 

 ance its bushes resemble those of R. coriifolia, except that, 

 as a rule, its flowering branches are more elongate and droop- 

 ing, and with much fewer prickles. It sometimes grows 

 beside R. coriifolia, but sometimes also in company with 

 other species. In 1897 M. Crepin sent me some further 

 remarks on this form, but the substance of them is the 

 same as that of the report given above. I may quote one 

 or two sentences : " I have re-examined the fine collection 

 which you sent me in 1895 and 1896 of this singular form, 

 which has already so greatly embarrassed us. The new 

 examination which I have made leaves me still perplexed 

 as to the real nature of this rose." " This strange form is 

 known to me only by your gatherings. Had it already 

 been observed before you ? That is what I cannot tell." 



With regard to this last question, there are in the 

 Herbarium of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science 

 about a dozen specimens which have been named var. 

 arvatica, Baker. About half of these are R. sub-coriifolia. 

 The others, so far as I can make out from the specimens, 

 some of which are very poor, belong to R. coriifolia, Fr. I 

 believe that I have seen specimens with Mr. Kidston, 

 gathered in Stirlingshire, and also named R. arvatica, Baker, 

 which likewise belong to R. sub-coriifolia. I believe that 

 all the specimens from Perthshire which have been named 

 var. arvatica, Baker, belong either to R. coriifolia or to 

 R. sub-coriifolia. Anxious, if possible, to obtain more light 

 as to R. sub-coriifolia, I sent to Mr. Baker at Kew a series 



