50 SHORT NOTES. 



bract, and capsule narrow, strongly mucronate, about equalling 

 the perianth. On the other hand, J. compressits is found only 

 inland, has a tufted rhizome, a rather loose panicle falling short of 

 its bract, and difiers above all in the larger, rounder, and more 

 obtuse capsule, -VNhich distinctly exceeds the perianth. The plant 

 under notice has the rhizome of Gerardi, and, unless hampered by 

 other vegetation, creeps straight ahead in a direct line, putting up 

 stems at regular remote intervals. It agrees with that species also 

 in the comparative length of the lower bract. There the similarity 

 ends ; the panicle is loose, with separately-stalked flowers ; the 

 perianth-segments fall short of the capsule, sometimes by as much 

 as one-half; the capsule is never acuminate, but subglobular, 

 obtuse, and mucronate, of a beautiful light-brown colour, polished 

 and shining when fresh, becoming puckered and wrinkled on 

 drying. Dr. Buchenau, the chief authority on Junciis, reports on 

 specimens sent to him: "Forma intermedia J. covqnessi et J. 

 Gerardi. Antherae filamentis circa 2^-plo longiores. Stilus longus. 

 Fructus perigonio circa dimidio longiores." The Berrow rush, 

 therefore, is a connecting-link between the two species mentioned ; 

 and although such a form is extremely rare, and perhaps may now 

 have been observed in Britain for the first time, yet its occurrence 

 decidedly supports the view of those botanists who consider these 

 plants to be resolvable into one super-species through intermediate 

 states.— J. W. White (in Proc. Bristol Nat. Soc. v. iii. 233). 



Daboecia. — In Prof. Babington's paper on Botanical Nomencla- 

 ture in the December number of the ' Journal of Botany,' there is 

 one item which seems to need correction. He asserts that David 

 Don failed to correct a printer's error when founding the genus 

 Daboecia ; but a review of the history of its names will show that 

 this supposition is not justified by facts. Linnaeus, in the first edition 

 of his * bpecies Plantarum,' under Erica, has the species E. Daboeci, 

 giving as a synonym Erica s. Daheoci hikruis of Bay, Hist. pi. iii, 

 Dendrol. 98. but mis-spelling it Dabeci ; no change was made until 

 the twelfth edition of the ' Systema,' when our plant was transferred 

 to Andromeda. It was on this foundation that Don made his genus 

 Daboecia in the 'Edinburgh Philosophical Journal' (July, 1834), 160; 

 any mistake in the spelling must be attributed to Linnaeus, who 

 successively wrote Dabeci and Daboeci, retaining the latter spelling, 

 and we are therefore not warranted in ascribing carelessness in 

 proof-reading to Don, who clearly meant the name to stand as he 

 wrote it. For my own part, I know nothing of S. Dabeoc, save in 

 connection with this plant ; and I should be glad if the Editor, who 

 has given so much attention to the naming of our indigenous 

 vegetation, could enhghten our ignorance of this Celtic Saint. — 

 B. Daydon Jackson. 



Banunculus Bal'dotii in Woecesteesbiee. — In the summer of 

 1883 I met with a Batrachian, which I supposed to be some variety 

 ol lianinuvhiH ](ltaii(!<, growing in a small pond at Madresfield, near 

 Malvern. I did not again gather it until 188G, when I saw it in 

 abundance in the Stews at Madresfield Court, about one-third of a 



