CENSUS OF SCOTTISH HEPATIOE 43 



CENSUS OF SCOTTISH HEPATIC^. 

 By SYMERS M. MACVICAR. 



I HAVE been engaged for some time in working out the dis- 

 tribution of Hepaticae in Scotland as far as material for 

 examination was available, and I hope to give an account of 

 it at a future time. I intend giving locality and collector's 

 name with every record, and am confining myself to speci- 

 mens which I personally examine. Some records taken 

 from literature will eventually be used, but only sparingly, 

 and an indication of the authority will be given in each case. 

 The limitations of our species at the present time differ from 

 those held even a comparatively short time ago, and it is 

 impossible to know in the great majority of cases which 

 species an author intended, unless the actual specimen is 

 available. I hope, however, that there will be few localised 

 specimens of former botanists which do not pass through my 

 hands. Unfortunately the localities on the labels of the 

 older botanists are frequently vague, such as " Scotch Alps " 

 or " Highlands of Scotland," or sometimes only " Scotland." 

 These are often our earliest authentic specimens from 

 Scotland, and in consequence will of course be quoted. 

 There is also the difficulty of correct identification of speci- 

 mens from published records, particularly when the author 

 has not made a special study of the subject, and although 

 one cannot expect to entirely escape making errors in 

 identification, it is of advantage to have a uniform authority. 

 In the meantime I give below a Census of the species 

 drawn from specimens which I have examined. I have 

 arranged them, meanwhile at least, in the Watsonian 

 vice-counties, but with present county boundaries. These 

 divisions are convenient for field work, while being sufficiently 

 small. The Census is intended as a guide to those who are 

 giving assistance, by showing what has so far been done ; but 

 it is also given in the hope of inducing others to send speci- 

 mens for examination from unrecorded counties. I shall also 

 be glad to see the rarer species from any of the counties, and 

 from different parts of each address, Invermoidart, Ach- 

 aracle R.S.O., Argyllshire. 



