220 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



the counties, with the localities usually named, from which 

 each of the less common plants had been recorded on trust- 

 worthy evidence. Mr. Watson did more to extend our 

 knowledge of the distribution of our flora than any other 

 botanist, by his personal investigations in the field, by his 

 careful and discriminating analysis of earlier records, by his 

 very important publications, and by his personal influence, 

 both direct by suggestion, advice and guidance to friends 

 and correspondents, and indirect by the methods exemplified 

 in his writings. The " Cybele Britannica," in four volumes, 

 issued between 1847 and 1859, and followed in 1870 by 

 its summary, " A Compendium of the Cybele Britannica 

 or British Plants in their Geographical Relations," - is a 

 storehouse of information on the source and distribution of 

 British flowering plants and vascular cryptogams. In these 

 books the range of each plant in altitude in Britain, as well 

 as in horizontal area, and its distribution beyond Britain, are 

 given so far as ascertainable. " Topographical Botany " was 

 issued in two volumes in 1873-74, and brought the dis- 

 tribution by counties (or by subdivisions of large counties 

 such as Perth) up to the date of existing information. All 

 his books were printed at his own expense, and were 

 presented by him to friends and other botanists interested 

 in the British flora, but were not issued to the general 

 botanical public. Yet the stimulus exerted by them was 

 very great, as they gave a clear view both of what was 

 already known and of what remained to be done. They 

 showed that the floras of certain districts still remained par- 

 tially or even almost wholly unknown, and that even in the 

 comparatively well-studied districts more careful work was 

 required. In consequence, attention was directed to these 

 defects, and good progress was made in amending them. 

 Until his death in I 88 I he continued to add to his records in 

 preparation for a new edition of his last work, " Topographical 

 Botany." In 1883 it was republished under the editorship 

 of Mr. J.' G. Baker and Rev. W. W. Newbould, with his 

 additions incorporated, and was issued at a moderate price. 

 Thus rendered more accessible, it has exercised an even 

 wider influence, and much has been done to fill gaps still 

 apparent in its records. The " Journal of Botany," the 



