178 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



1st ed. End of Introduction, 1859). His original view {Origin, dc. 

 pp. 11, 12) not strongly emphasized until 1868 (Variation, etc., and 

 Origin, d'C. 6th ed. 1878). Reason for delay given to Wagner 

 {Ltfe, it-c. vol. iii. p. 158; Oct. 1876), viz :— " I could find little 

 evidence of the direct action of the environment." 



" Definite variation " leads to " permanent modification of 

 structure," i. e. inheritance of acquired characters {Origin, itc. 

 6th ed. p. 421, 1878). These may become only relatively, or even 

 absolutely, stable under all conditions of life. 



Indefinite variations, also caused by " direct action of changed 

 conditions of life." They consist of a supposed mixture of indi- 

 viduals, the minority possessing " favourable " {i. e. adaptive), the 

 ynajority, "injurious" {i.e. inadaptive) variations. Such is the 

 Theory of Natural Selection as described {Origin, dc. 6th ed. p. 63, 

 1878). 



Natural Selection is not required, for the majority die by 

 "fortuitous destruction" {Origin, £c. 6th ed. pp. 53, 54, 59-89), 

 e. g. Sir E. Ray Lankester says, one out of a million eggs of an 

 oyster may survive, i. e. per chance (Darwin's word). 



Contra, F. Buckland says of young oysters, transferred to new 

 localities, that within two months they begin to assume the 

 " native characters " {Variation, dc. vol. ii. pp. 280, 281). 



In illustration, Mr. Henslow adduced the following examples : — 



Mesophytic plants becoming aquatic and vice versa, e. g. Water 

 Crowfoot. E. g. Monocotyledons originated from aquatic Dicoty- 

 ledons. Mesophytic plants becoming Xerophytic and vice versa 

 by means of water, e. g. Restharrow, &c. Cultivated plants 

 originating, by prepared soil, from wild plants, and their rever- 

 sion, e. g. root crops. Depauperised and dwarfed plants, recog- 

 nized as specific ; through drought, submergence, parasitism, and 

 saprophytism. 



Darwin's final charge against scientists for their misrepresen- 

 tations : — " Great is the power of steady misrepresentation; but 

 the history of science shows that, fortunately, this power does not 

 long endure " {Origin, &c. 6th ed. p. 421). It has lasted for 

 fifty-five years (1859-1914). 



NOTES ON DR. FOCKE'S BUBI EUROPE I (1914).- 



By the Rev. W. Moyle Rogers, F.L.S. 



Biobi Europcei is the latest product of Dr. Focke's unrivalled 

 work on the brambles of the world, and of Europe in particular. 

 Here we find in great detail his maturest views on our British 

 Rubi in correlation with those known on the continent of Europe. 

 We can hardly be too grateful to him for the untiring labour 



* Bibliotheca Botanica. Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. Chr. Luerssen 

 Danzig-Zoppot. Heft 83. Wilhelm Olbers Focke : Species Kuborum. Mono- 

 graphise generis Rubi Prodromqs. Pars iii. Stuttgart. 191-4. 



