26 TnE .tourxal ov- tjotais^y 



improvement in <a fuller indication of the geographical distribution 

 than has hitherto appeared. 



It is hardly to be expected that no omissions will be detected, 

 but, so far as we have tested the Supplement, we have not noted any. 

 It may be noted that the entries are not confined to the years indi- 

 cated on the title-page— thus under Arisfolocliia we find '' A. fru- 

 tescens, Marsh. Arbust. 12 (1785)," and two species published by 

 Hoehne in 1910. Nomina nuda — there are thirty under Myrcia, — 

 although not entitled to recognition, are included, we think wisely. 

 Students of Hieracia will be interested to know that no fewer than 

 ten pages of three columns each are presented for their consideration ; 

 it may be noted, however, that the majority of these date from periods 

 earlier than those indicated in the title of the Supplement — the genus 

 seems to have been neglected by previous compilers. 



For such an undertaking, so successfully carried on, there can be 

 nothing but praise, coupled with an expression of gratitude to those 

 who have undertaken the work. 



BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, etc. 



A"N* interesting paper on " The Distribution of Certain Elements 

 of the British Flora " was read by Mr. J. R. Matthews at the 

 meeting of the J^ritish Association last year. These elements were 

 defined geographically in terms of their distribution in the British 

 Isles, and do not correspond exactly to what have been called Iberian, 

 Atlantic, Grermanic, Scandinavian, &c. Thus the plants of the 

 British Flora confined to England, to Scotland, and to Ireland 

 respectively, and those confined to two of these countries were shown 

 on separate maps. Maps so constructed help one to visualise the 

 mass distribution of the floral element treated, and taken in con- 

 junction with the European distribution of the same plants are 

 extremely suggestive. Whatever may have happened during the 

 Grlacial period and by whatever means those temperate plants (about 

 270 species) of our Flora which occur only in England reached 

 Britain, it is clear from the map that their headquarters are in 

 France, while in England they are most abundant in the south and 

 south-east counties, gradually thinning out as we move north and 

 north-west. This seems to indicate the main lines of migration 

 followed by the bulk of our temperate Flora. Similar conditions 

 seem to have affected the migration of about seventy species, which 

 have reached England and Ireland, but which are absent from- 

 Scotland ; on the other hand, the distribution of over a hundred 

 species confined to England and Scotland indicates a co-mingling of 

 southern and northern types. About forty of these species are found 

 in Scotland and in the north of England, but are absent from south 

 and south-east England. These boreal types may have migrated 

 more from east to west, rather than from south to north ; this may 

 help to explain their greater prevalence in North Britain, although 

 the possibility of their having been exterminated in the south 



