Sir W. J. Hooker on two new Orchideous Plants, 329 



to whose paper I beg to refer the naturalists of this country, 

 as containing a most detailed account of all its characters. It 

 is the S. exilis of Gmelin. 



P.S. Since the above notes were written I have seen Na- 

 thusius's paper on the European shrews, alluded to by the 

 editor in a former number of this journal*. He does not ap- 

 pear to admit of more than two species belonging to the group 

 termed by Duvernoy Amphisorex. Of course, therefore, that 

 which I have above named S. labiosus is either unknown to 

 him, or, what is perhaps more probable, would pass as a mere 

 variety of the S. tetragonurus. And I am far from saying that 

 this last opinion might not ultimately prove correct. Never- 

 theless, as I have seen two specimens exactly similar, I feel 

 induced for the present to consider it as distinct. 



I may also state, that since it clearly appears now that the 

 S. tetragonurus of Hermann was known to Linnaeus, and the 

 very species originally described by him in the first edition of 

 the e Fauna Suecica/ under the name of S. vulgaris f, it will be 

 proper, in accordance with Nathusius, to adopt the name last 

 mentioned for this species, and to allow that of tetragonurus 

 to sink as a synonym. It will also be advisable to transfer the 

 English name of common shrew from the S. rusticus to this 

 species, which is far more abundant in this country, and seems 

 to be the species most universally distributed throughout 

 Europe. Those naturalists who wish to have an English name 

 for everything might call the former the rustic shrew. 



Swaffham Bulbeck, Nov. 28, 1838. 



XXXVII. — Description of two new Orchideous Plants, from 

 the Collection of C. S. Parker, Esq. By Sir W. J. Hooker, 

 L.L.D., Reg. Prof. Bot. Glasgow, F.R.S., L.S. 

 [With Plates.] 

 1. Pleurothallis aristata. 



Nana, foliis petiolatis spathulatis, raceme- paucifloro, sepalis sequalibus 

 lanceolatis aristato-acuminatissimis maculatis 3-nervibus 2 lateralibus 

 basi connatis, petalis sextuplo minoribus oblongo-acuminatis longe ci • 



* Vol. i. p. 427, note. 



f In the second edition of that work the name is changed to Araneus. 



Ann. Nat. Hist. Vol. 2. No. 11. Jan. 1839. z 



