Ill 



BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, &c. 



Under the heading " The Society for the Promotion of Nature 

 Eeserves," we have received the following circular : " In view of 

 the dangers which at the present time threaten our indigenous 

 fauna and flora with extinction, it has been thought advisable to 

 found the above Society, the principal objects of which are the 

 following : — i. To collect and collate information as to areas of 

 land in the United Kingdom which retain their primitive condi- 

 tions and contain rare and local species liable to extinction owing 

 to building, draining, and disafforestation, or in consequence of the 

 cupidity of collectors. All such information to be treated as 

 strictly confidential, ii. To prepare a scheme showing which 

 areas should be secured, iii. To obtain these areas and hand 

 them over to the National Trust under such conditions as may 

 be necessary, iv. To preserve for posterity as a national posses- 

 sion some part at least of our native land, its fauna, flora, and 

 geological features, v. To encourage the love of nature and to 

 educate public opinion to a better knowledge of the value of 

 nature study. While it is fully recognized that something has 

 already been done in this direction by certain societies and by 

 individual enterprise, it is certain that a great deal may yet be 

 accomplished to prevent further destruction, if prompt action is 

 taken. It is proposed to effect these objects by means of the 

 Press, by personal efforts, by correspondence with local societies 

 and individuals, and by such other means as may suggest them- 

 selves from time to time." The President of the Society is the 

 Eight Hon. J. W. Lowther ; Dr. Bayley Balfour, Sir Francis 

 Darwin, Mr. Druce, and Sir David Prain are members of the 

 Council. Communications should be addressed to the Secretary 

 of the Society, at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Koad, 

 S.W. A remarkable feature of the Society is that " there shall be 

 no subscription " ; " members shall be elected by invitation of the 

 executive committee." 



In Annals of Botany for January, Miss Winifred Brenchley 

 continues her investigations on the weeds of arable land, of which 

 she publishes a third part. In this she deals with West Norfolk, 

 where the total number of species and genera was far in advance 

 of those for Bedfordshire and the West Country, though the 

 number seen once or twice only was practically the same in each 

 of the three districts. At the end " an alphabetical list of the 

 more important weeds " is given, giving the common, and where 

 possible, the local names ; we presume the latter have been 

 restricted to those collected by Miss Brenchley herself in the 

 district, for a reference to the Dialect Dictionary or the Dictionary 

 of English Plant-Names would show many additions for West 

 Norfolk. Veronica Toumefortii is called " Buxbaum's Speedwell " 

 — which can never have been in common use and was applied to the 

 plant in books when it was called V. Buxbaumii — and " Cuckoo's 

 Leaves," a pretty name referring perhaps to its early appearance. 

 " Makebeg," Spergula, has many analogies; "Ram's glass" for 



