678 Shropshire and North Wales 



branous, much broader than the bristles ; bristles six, with 

 erect teeth ; fruit obovate, somewhat turbinate, compressed, 

 obscurely margined, minutely reticulated ; style with a row of 

 erect teeth on each margin ; leaves almost filiform. 



Spikelets oval, rich brown, longer than in R. alba. Stigmas 

 more protruded. Bristles six (Smith and Sturm have figured 

 and described only three bristles to each flower). Fruit brown- 

 ish, tapering at the base into a very short stalk, much shorter 

 than in R. alba. Style dilated at the base as in R. alba, 

 persistent, thin, pellucid, greenish, thickened at the outer 

 margins, which are each clothed with a row of erect teeth. 

 Culm leafy, compressed. Leaves narrow, almost filiform, 

 edges and keels somewhat scabrous. Bracteas broad, with 

 about seven nerves, edges and keels scabrous. Boot creep- 

 ing. In the spikelets of R. fusca there are two flowers, one of 

 which is abortive. 



Shrewsbury, Oct. 1. 1835. 



P. S. — As it is my present intention to investigate with 

 similar minuteness the genera Cyperus, £chce x nus, Scirpus, 

 Blysmus, Eleocharis, and Eriophorum, I shall feel particularly 

 obliged by any of your correspondents furnishing me with 

 dried specimens of any species in those genera from different 

 localities. 



[The difference in the direction of the " teeth " upon the 

 bristles of Rhynch6spora Vahl alba Vahl, and the direction of 

 the " teeth " upon the bristles of fusca Smith, pointed out by 

 Mr. Leighton above, has called to mind that which obtains 

 between Panicum verticillatum L. and viride L. : in verticil- 

 latum the flowers are bracteated with bristles that are " rough 

 with reversed teeth " (Smith, Eng. Flora, i. 98.) ; and in 

 viride with bristles that are " rough with erect teeth " (Smith, 

 Eng. Flora, i. 99.) ] 



Art. V. Mans Progress in the Extension of the Knowledge of 

 Natural Objects. 



The Shropshire and North Wales Natural History Society. 

 — This was established on June 26. 1835. The forming of 

 a central museum and scientific library, and the accumulating 

 of information, and of means of information, on all the subjects 



