2 So The Scottish Naturalist. 



localities in Braemar, and on the Links near Aberdeen, stem-galls 

 on this grass. They are not readily observed, as the plants affected 

 show hardly a trace of injury in the parts exposed to view. I have 

 never found more than one gall on a stem ; and it is situated 

 always near the base of one of the lower internodes of the flower- 

 ing culm. The whole circumference is affected, but growth is more 

 rapid on one side, so that the culm becomes bent and the gall 

 bursts through the lower part of the leaf-sheath. Its surface is 

 smooth or nearly so, its colour dull brownish yellow. In size the 

 galls do not seem to exceed 8 by 3 mm. They taper at each end 

 into the culm, but more gradually upwards. On section the wall 

 is found to be thin but compact, and the central space is rather 

 large. Each gall contains one (?) hymenopterous larva, about 

 4 mm. long and 1 mm. thick, of a honey-yellow colour. 



TEE STUDENT'S FLORA OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS.* 



All British botanists know, we suppose, and appreciate the Student's Flora 

 in its first and second editions. No apology is therefore necessary if we notice 

 at some length this, the third edition, in view of the considerable alterations 

 and improvements that have been made. The former editions, though full, 

 as our readers are doubtless aware, of much interesting information in addition 

 to the descriptions of the plants, yet bore marks here and there of a rather too 

 hasty compilation — not perhaps to be wondered at considering the mass of 

 facts recorded and the busy life of the author. In this edition not only have 

 most of the errors (such as they were) been corrected, but much new informa- 

 tion has been added. For example, "under the description of the flowers of 

 various Genera, characters concerned in the process of fertilization " have been 

 introduced. Of these the author remarks : " Our knowledge of these subjects 

 is incomplete and rudimentary. Any student may add to it ; but great caution 

 is required, for I suspect that individual species are subject to considerable 

 variation in these respects." These words are well worth keeping in mind. 

 Students of field botany are too apt to be content with making out the name 

 of a plant — if even they go the length of trying to identify the species for them- 

 selves — and to utterly ignore the many interesting phenomena that congregate 

 round each species. 



We shall now briefly glance at the work in its relation to some Scottish 

 plants. 



Thalictrum majus Sm. (not Jacq.) is given as a sub-species of T. minus L. 

 Whether it be a sub-species or (as we are inclined to think) a variety only, 

 the distinctive characters given are not satisfactory. T. Junius is said to be 

 " often glaucous or glandular ; stem 6-18 in., usually naked at the base." T. 

 majus differs by " stem 2-4 ft., more leafy below, leaflets usually much larger." 

 Other authors give additional characters, but in our experience these are sub- 

 ject to so much variation that they cannot be depended on, and the description 

 in the Student's Flora embraces really all the difference between the two 

 forms. It is to be noted that Nyman (Conspectus Florae Europoeae) refers the 

 British plant to T. Jacquinianum Koch, possibly a good species. 



In the Batrachian group of Ranunculus eight species are admitted. Of these 

 R. circinatus is said to be the most distinct, and " very uniform in size, habit, 



* By Sir J. D. Hooker. Third Edition. London : Macmillan & Co. 1884. 



