401 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



The Flora of DuDifriesshire, indudimi part of the Stcwartri/ of Kiik- 

 cudbri'iiht. By G. F. Scott-Elliot, M.A., F.L.S. Dumfries: 

 Maxwell. 8vo, i^p. xl, 219, map. 



A Flora of a Scottish comity is a welcome sight, if only on 

 accomit of its rarity. Considering the number of botanists which 

 Scotland has produced, it is remarkable how few contributions 

 have been made to our knowledge of the plants of the country, 

 apart from its rare species. It is hardly too much to say that no 

 Scottish county flora of marked excellence has yet appeared. It 

 was hoped that Dr. Buchanan White's Perthshire Flora would set 

 an example ; but his lamented death has prevented, though we 

 trust only for a time, the carrying out of this work. 



Meanwhile Mr. G. F. Scott Elliot (who, we note, has recently, 

 following the example of other great men, taken to himself a 

 hyphen) has published a flora of his native county which, although 

 by no means of first-rate or even second-rate excellence, as measured 

 by the standard of English works of the kind, brings together a 

 good deal of scattered information, and will form a basis for future 

 workers. Mr. Elliot has added one new feature in the recording of 

 insect visitors: "the catching of these," he says, "has probably 

 occupied more than nine-tenths of the time which I have spent on 

 the work," and he has "attempted to give an idea of the more 

 common visitors of about 270 species." 



The earlier portions of the book originally appeared as separate 

 issues, to which we referred in these pages {Journ. But. 1891, 383 ; 

 1893, 96). The complete work only strengthens the opinion we 

 then formed, that Mr. Elliot is not in his element when he under- 

 takes a local flora. To do this satisfactorily, an intimate knowledge 

 of British plants and their literature, a diligent personal search 

 throughout the district, and a careful collation and sifting of 

 authorities are required : while to produce a satisfactory book care 

 in proof-reading and attention to suitable arrangements of type are 

 absolutely necessary. So far as we can judge from this Flora, 

 Mr. Elliot possesses these qualifications only in a limited degree. 

 We fail to find a single observation, apart from generalities, bearing 

 on the life-history of any species, although in the earlier portion of 

 the book a good deal of care has been taken in describing the 

 habitats ; the grouping of forms is carried out in a way which we 

 do not understand ; and there is no evidence of any attempt to 

 verify the accuracy of many of the authorities for certain localities. 

 Everyone who has had anything to do with the compilation of local 

 floras knows what extraordinary blunders are made by well-meaning 

 but ignorant correspondents ; and Dumfriesshire must be blessed 

 with more than its share of trustworthy observers if the long list 

 enumerated by Mr. Elliot is entirely composed of them. The 

 author, however, thinks that (with one exception) "it may be 

 considered certain that the records are entirely correct"; and 

 no doubt he has reasons for this opinion. 



