Generic Distinction of Ranunciflus Ficdria L. 375 



more than 20 feet; and the beautiful Coluber 5cytale of 

 Gmelhu 



Plate 70, is a showy representation of a ground lizard, 

 which she complains of, as destroying her hen's eggs in the 

 coops. 



Plate 71. We have here (a) figures of the singular jRana 

 paradoxa Cuv.^ and (b) others illusti'ating the changes of 

 European frogs. The unusual transformations here recorded 

 by the fair author have, of course, no foundation in fact. The 

 only circumstance worthy of notice is, that this species remains 

 a very long time in its caudate state, and, indeed, acquires, con- 

 trary to the usual law, the greater part of its bulk while yet 

 a tadpole. 



Plate 72. The work concludes with a zoological caricature, 

 equalling Hogarth's distorted perspective, for we have here 

 a larva half the length of the towering column of an areca 

 palm. The plate is crowded with various animals from dif- 

 ferent parts of the world, introduced without reason or judg- 

 ment. No. 1 — 5. are immature jKanse. a, b, c, are marine 

 plants, or flexible corallines or Gorgon?^, d is the O'strea 

 £c)lium ? E, F, useless figures of shells, g is the /Scarabae^us 

 Actas^on Gmel. 1 529., one of the giant group called Mega- 

 sbma by our learned countryman, the rector of Barham [Sir. 

 Kirby]. On the tree are obscure outlines of larvae and pupae, 

 and above are represented a bunch of the berries of the 

 areca, two Papili^nes, and a South American Zygasna ? 



I am. Sir, yours, &c. 



St Vincent, Jan. 29. 1831. Lansdown Guilding. 



Art. XI. On the supposed generic Distinction of Ranunculus 

 Ficaria ofLinne. By Charles C. Babington, M.A. F.L.S. &c. 



The i?anunculus Ficaria Linn, having been considered by 

 many botanical writers of high authority as distinct generic- 

 ally from the other i?anunculi, and having been described 

 by them under the names of Ficaria verna and F. ranun- 

 cuUxides, I have been induced to examine the characters 

 on which the genus Ficaria is founded, and now give the 

 result. 



The plant now under consideration was first formed into a 

 distinct genus by Hudson, in his Flora Anglica, p. 244., in 

 the year 1 762, under the name of Ficaria verna, in which he 

 has been followed by Persoon and De I'Arbre. In 1794, 



B B 4 



