124 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



it is shown that while the elevation of 2000 feet above the sea may be 

 taken at present as the normal lower limit of the characteristic arctic 

 alpine flora, and as the normal upper limit of trees in Scotland, 

 in each of the two arctic beds the arctic flora practically reached 

 the sea-level, while in the lower Forestian period the deciduous trees 

 ascended to at least their present limit, and in the upper Forestian 

 to over 3000 feet above the sea. Mr. Lewis has not found in the 

 peat any species that is not still existent in Scotland, but points out 

 that Salix polaris has been found in deposits in the Southern Low- 

 lands that can hardly be younger than the lower arctic bed of the 

 upland peat. His work is a very valuable contribution to the early 

 history of the flora, and to the more recent geological history of 

 Scotland. 



Calamagrostis strigosa, Hartm. Mr. Druce, at page 40 of the 

 last number of the " Annals," says, the " Messrs. Groves describe 

 this plant as cczspitosa. On referring to the last edition of " Babington's 

 Manual " I find this is so. Wahlenberg in his original description 

 of the plant as Arundo strigosa, "Fl. Lapponica" t. 2. 29 (181 1), makes 

 no mention of such a habit, nor does Fries, " Sum. Veg. Scand.'' 

 240, 1846; while Anderson in his " Gramin. Scand." 82, 1852, 

 says, " Rhizoma longe repens, articulatum, stolones foliatos agens " ; 

 while of stricta he says, "Rhizoma brevissime repens." Blytt, " Norges 

 Flora" 86, 1861, actually describes it with longer rhizomes than stricta, 

 which he says has " Rodstoken kort." So I think whether the plant 

 is strigosa or not it disposes of that objection. 



S. Almquist, who described the genus for Hartman's "Skand. 

 FL," ed. of 1879, remarked on a specimen I sent to him, " C. 

 strigosa, very near the Norwegian form." I have had the plant from 

 Caithness growing for some years, and it behaved exactly as did 

 Hierochloe borealis, as its rhizomes crept extensively in the soil and it 

 would not flower unless grown in a pot. It may possibly be C. 

 Hartmanniana, Fries, " Summa Veget. Scand." i. 241 (1846). 

 ARTHUR BENNETT. 



CURRENT LITERATURE. 



The Titles and Purport of Papers and Notes relating to Scottish Natural 

 History which have appeared during the Quarter January-March 1908. 



[The Editors desire assistance to enable them to make this Section as complete as 

 possible. Contributions on the lines indicated will be most acceptable, and 

 will bear the initials of the Contributor. The Editors will have access to the 

 sources of information undermentioned.] 



ZOOLOGY. 



EIGHTEEN NEW EUROPEAN VOLES. By Gerrit S. Miller. Ann. 

 and Mag. Nat. Hist., February 1908, pp. 194-206. Microtus 



