94 NOTES ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



•eight. In the normal inflorescence the 4-partite and 5-partite 

 are in the ratio of i to 4, or 20 to 80, but the ratio of the observed 

 percentages was as 33-1 to 65*3. The variation from the normal 

 type, therefore, favours the tetramerous more than the pentam- 

 erous forms. During the examination of the material, 51 types 

 of variation were noted. A detailed account of the variation 

 •of the plant was published in Biometvika, Vol. ii., Part i., 

 Nov. 1902, pp. 108-13. — H* Whitehead, Essex Museum of 

 Natural History, June, 1903. 



Vicia lutea near Witham. — I found on June 6th, 1903, 

 a plant of Vicia lutea growing on the railway embankment near 

 Witham — quite close to the locality from which, some time ago, 

 Mr. Turner recorded EupJwvbia esula, and where that plant is 

 still abundant. I think that V. lutea has only once previously 

 been recorded for the county, and that by Mr. E. A. Fitch, from 

 St. Osyth (in Essex Naturalist vi., 116). It is difficult to see 

 how the plant can have got into such a strange and unnatural 

 habitat. — F. J. Chittenden, County Technical Laboratories, 

 Chelmsford. 



" The Tinctorial Properties of our British Dye 

 Plants." — Under this title Dr. C. B. Plowright has an interest- 

 ing and exhaustive paper in the Trans. Norfolk and Norwich 

 Naturalists' Society, Vol. vii., pp. 386 — 394, which should be read 

 in connection with the list of vegetable colouring matters used in 

 the Scotch Highlands communicated by the Duchess of Suther- 

 land (see E.N. Vol. xii., p. 45). Dr. Plowright examined about 

 70 plants, using as mordants only such simple substances as 

 alum, ammonia, lime, potash, and green vitrei, which are those 

 our ancestors may have employed. The general outcome of the 

 experiments was that all colours which are obtainable from 

 British dye-plants are of a sombre hue. The yellows predominate, 

 and one or two (such as Reseda luteola and Genista tinctoria) were 

 so good that they continued in use until the last half century. 

 No bright permanent red could be obtained. The blue of woad 

 (Isatis tinctoria) is of great beauty, but is a hue exceedingly difficult 

 to extract. (See Corder, Trans. N . and N. Nat. Soc, v., p. 144), 

 Dr. Plowright says " Although a colour of pre-historic origin, 

 yet it is one which to-day can only be obtained by the most care- 

 ful management. In point of fact, the discovery that Isatis was 



