52 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



the beginning of July and part of August. Ollaberry was 

 made the centre of operations, the intention being to work 

 some of the interesting parts of the Northmaven peninsula, 

 which I was unable to reach on my previous short visit to 

 the same place, owing to their distance from headquarters. 

 However, the exceptionally bad weather of last summer stood 

 in the way, and consequently some of the more distant 

 localities still remain untouched. A good deal of work was 

 done among the crags on the north side of Roeness Voe, 

 and although they afforded much likely ground, little of 

 special interest was gathered except among the Hawkweeds. 

 In this genus Hieracium Farrensc, H anbury proved an 

 interesting addition to the Shetland list ; while at North 

 Roe a second locality was found for H. zetlandicum. 



While dealing with these endemic species, it may not be 

 out of place to refer to the growing tendency, on the part of 

 some botanists, to make too much of the degree of difference 

 exhibited by plants, while practically ignoring the kind of 

 difference, which, it is maintained here, is really the important 

 factor. Thus, the most transient states of plants due to the 

 direct action of their environment are often far more distinct 

 in appearance from their normal forms than are some 

 varieties from their types ; but the first-named return at once 

 to their normal state on being removed from their special 

 surroundings, while the latter remain permanently distinct 

 from their types even when grown under circumstances most 

 disadvantageous to the continuation of the particular variation. 

 That these two kinds of variation exist in plants is certain ; 

 and the separation of them seems to be the very basis on 

 which all investigations of the Phanerogamia must be made, 

 if it is hoped that this branch of botany is to throw any 

 further light on Evolution. Since these two kinds of varia- 

 tion are now sometimes treated as one, and since theories 

 are based on, or illustrated by, this heterogeneous aggregate, 

 no apology is needed for these remarks. To give a varietal 

 name to a species of Batrachium when it produces its floating 

 leaves, or when a trilobed leaf becomes suborbicular in 

 floating, is but one step short of giving the plant another 

 varietal name when it flowers, and yet another when it 

 fruits ! Each individual plant, in certain species, has inherent 



