356 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANV 



sent in and distributed during tlie last twelve months, and all of 

 these have been submitted to experts in the several groups, so that 

 the number of errors of naming in the distributed plants was much 

 smaller than in previous years. We notice a great increase in the 

 number of Sphagna sent in, but a considerable falling-off in the 

 number of Hepaticae. Among the more interesting plants on which 

 notes have been made in the Club note-book, these notes being re- 

 produced in this report, are Puttia minutula (a form having a rudi- 

 mentary peristome) ; TJiuidium abietinwn B. & S. growing intermixed 

 with T. delicatulum ; Hypnum dilatatiim Schimp. showing a close 

 approach to H. molle ; Weissia calcarea C. M. ; Amblystegium serpens 

 B. & S. var. depauperatum Boul. ; Porella j^lati/phi/lla L. ; Scapania 

 purpurea Carr. ; Anthoceros punctatus L. ; and numerous Harpidia 

 and Sphagna. The beginners' section has completed its first year, 

 and has now forty-five members. Some of these have displayed 

 much activity and enthusiasm, but many others have apparently 

 done little or nothing except to pay the subscription and accept 

 any plants sent to them. 



The bulky part of the Journal of the Roj/td Horticultural Society 

 issued in August contains many papers of botanical interest : — 

 "Experiments in Hybridization," by Abbot Mendel; " Woad, a 

 prehistoric pigment," by Dr. Plowright ; " Hybrid Conifers," by Dr. 

 Masters; " Making and unmaking of flowers," by Prof. Henslow ; 

 and "Bulbiform seeds of AiuaryUidec^,'' by Dr. Rendle — the last, 

 by permission of the Council of the Society, we propose to reproduce 

 in our next issue. The Journal is so well got up that we regret it 

 should be marred by the introduction of miscellaneous blocks — often 

 unlettered, and in no way connected with the text — as tail-pieces, 

 wherever a vacant space affords an opportunity for their insertion. 

 Such figures are neither ornamental nor useful. 



Mr. F. N. Williams announces the continuation of his Frodromus 

 Flora Britannic(E, of which the first fasciculus was reviewed in this 

 Journal for June. The second fasciculus, consisting of sixty-four 

 pages and dealing with the CompositcB, is in the press, and will be 

 issued in November at the price of 2s. 2d., free by post to subscribers, 

 who should send that amount to the author, at 181, High Street, 

 Brentford. 



Mr. A. G. Tansley, of University College, believing that "there 

 is room for a new botanical periodical appearing at short intervals 

 and affording a ready means of communication and discussion 

 among British botanists, as well as giving facilities for the quick 

 publication of short papers, whether critical, speculative, or em- 

 bodying the results of research," has issued a circular giving details 

 of the proposed journal. The scheme is very comprehensive, as it 

 is proposed to " cover the whole range of modern botany" and to 

 include contributions in English, French, and German : "British (or 

 foreign) botanists would, it is hoped, write freely expressing their 

 views or their doubts on all questions connected with the practical 

 advance and teaching of the science, as well as on purely scientific 

 questions." 



