298 The Irish Naturalist. December, 



but in this book the process of challenging is carried beyond the bounds 

 that many botanists would be content to fix. The dividing lines between 

 the precise shades of probability of early human introduction are so fine, 

 and the questions which arise so speculative and so dependent on per- 

 sonal cast of thought, that we confess we look with envy on our author's 

 definite classification. It signifies a vast amount of critical study of habi- 

 tats and ranges. The book is full of denizens, colonists, aliens, and the Ap- 

 pendix of casuals. Of the 750 plants admitted to the flora, nearly one-fourth 

 have their nativity called in question. These include such plants as 

 Barbarea vulgaris^ Sisymbtiiini officinale, S. Alii aria, Capsella Bursa-pastoris, 

 Reseda Ltiteola, Valerianella olitoria, Anagallis ai-vensis, iVenlha arvensis, Salvia 

 Verbenaca, Echiiim vidgare is a denizen, Raphamis maritime a colonist. 

 Milium ejfusuin a casual. On the standing of some presumably indigenous 

 species, such as Stellaria uli^inosa, Riibus saxaiilis, Menyanthes trifoliata, 

 Atriplex liitoralis, Festtica rubra, our author is silent. On the other side of 

 the account, it is pleasant to see the local claims of a few interesting 

 plants, which have been sometimes questioned, fully admitted— for in- 

 stance, C}-ambe inaritima, Lavatera arborea^ Crepis taraxacifolia, all now set 

 down as natives without doubt. The flora is further enriched by the 

 admission, to the naturatized section, of plants which in 1898 were excluded 

 from the Irish list in Cybele Hibernica ; such, for instance, are Silene conica, 

 Acer Pseiido-plataniis, Anthemis arvensis, Lyciurn barbarzim, Linaria purpurea, 

 and Fagiis sylvatica. Considering that the aim of the book, to use the 

 author's words, is "to exhibit in full detail the Ancient and Present 

 state of the Dublin Flora," it seems a pity that such rare and interesting 

 natives as Mertensia maritima and Typha angiistijolia, which were certainly 

 gathered in the county within the last century, should not figure in their 

 proper place, instead of being relegated to the Appendix, amid a crowd of 

 casuals and errors. 



A prominent feature of the book is the valuable critical notes which 

 abound throughout, as instances of which we may refer to the remarks 

 under Draba venia, Capsella Biirsa-pastorts, Jlledicago sylvesttis, or Primula 

 vulgaris. But while a large number of critical varieties or forms are 

 mentioned, Mr. Colgau is by no means an enthusiastic " splitter." Thus, 

 the three British forms o^ Alchemilla vulgaris and the two segregates of 

 Valeriana officinalis are practically discarded as unworthy of even varietal 

 rank. As regards some other critical groups, Riibus is conspicuous 

 as being the only genus of which local knowledge is still quite in- 

 adequate. Only twenty- five fruticose Rubi are recorded, many of them 

 from a single station ; and hardly a note appears that was not embodied 

 in Cybele Hibernica six years ago. The Roses are also as j^et incompletely 

 known. In the genus Jhumaria, a single locality is given for F. muralis. 

 In view of the disruption of the British records for this species by Mr. 

 Pugsley, it would be interesting to know if this record bears that 

 authority's irnprimatur. If so, it is the only Irish station for F. ?nuralis 

 that can at present be relied upon. Under Lamium, by the quotation of 

 L, piopurcum X amplexicaule as a synonym for L. intermedium, and L. 

 amplexicaule X pufpureum for L. hybridum, a hybrid origin for these twQ 



