358 THE LOCAL FIELD-CLliBS OF GREAT BUITAIN. 



Alisma raiiuncviloides, Tresco. I sus- 

 pect Mr. Townsend intends this 

 bj his A. Plantago, for I never saw 

 the latter. 



Eriopliorum latifolium, St. Mary's. 



Briza minor, St. Mary's. 



Molinia cseriilea, Tresco. No doubt 

 the Sesleria ccerulea of Townsend's 

 list. 



Lavatera arborea is common on most 

 of the islands, and no doubt indi- 

 genous. 



With the exception oi EriopJiorum latifolium, all have been recorded 

 in Cornwall. — M. A. Lawson. 



Hybrocotyle VULGARIS, L., ctc. — In the August number of this 

 volume (p. 241) Dr. Seemann asks and answers in the negative the 

 question whether there is a second European Hydrocotyle ; apparently 

 forgetting H. natans, Cyr., which occurs in Italy and Sicily. It is in- 

 teresting to know that H. pleiantha, Ces., is the same as H. vulgaris, 

 L. Having lately had occasion to examine this genus with reference 

 to the flora of another part of the world, I find that the question of 

 the identity of H. vulgaris Avith //. verilcillata, Thunb., non Turcz., 

 is mixed up with that of the identity of these with H. umbellata, H. 

 petiolaris, H. Caffra, and H. bouariensis. The principal differences 

 relate to the number of veins on the leaves, and the size, ramification, 

 and number of flowers in the umbels. These differences are great and 

 remarkable in the extreme cases, but there can perhaps be traced an 

 uninterrupted gradation amongst them. I notice the following facts 

 taken from the Kew herbarium, which lead me to question some of the 

 conclusions in Dr. Seeraann's paper : — (1.) Some specimens of H. vul- 

 garis (or ff. verticillata) from South Africa have the leaves 10-nerved. 

 (2.) Other specimens from the same country have the leaves with more 

 than 11 nerves. (3.) The ripe fruits are about equally epiarginate at 

 the base in the specimens of all those species from Europe, and from 

 various parts of the world. — W. P. Hiern. 



v, 



fpcrts* 



THE LOCAL FIELD-CLUBS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



By James Britten, F.L.S. 



VI. The Manchester Field Naturalists' Society. 



This Society owes its existence to a few gentlemen of the town and 



ncighbourl'ood, who, impressed with the belief that an Association for 



