BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 501 



alone it has been so far observed. H. cnUistophijllnin occurs in 

 Argyll, W. Inverness, Forfarshire, and perhaps in Dumfriesshire. 

 H . aii//IieHi)i var. acutifoliwii, mostly found in Aberdeenshire, occurs 

 at high altitudes as Cairntoul, and also frequently as a woodland 

 and riverside plant. H. Lcnu/welUnse, since its first discovery in 

 Caithness, has been found typical in the Moffat Hills, Dumfries. 

 H. lasiophi/llinn differs from most of our list in being a Central 

 European rather than a Scandinavian species. It is fairly frequent 

 in the Grampians and in parts of Wales and two or three adjoining 

 English counties. H. murorum var. sarcoplnjUum. : this plant has 

 been twice submitted to Herr Dahlstedt, who regards it as best 

 placed under sarcophi/llion, though not exactly the type. It occurs 

 here and there in the Moffat Hills. II. euprepes is rare, though 

 widely distributed in [Scotland, being found in Perthshire and 

 Dumfriesshire (Moffat); lately it has been discovered in N.E. Ire- 

 land. H. vnl//atitm var. vuiculatum, treated by Fries (Epicr.) as 

 synonymous with //. vulgatum, is, in England and generally over 

 Europe, a plant of botanical gardens or an escape. We issue 

 No. 69 as H. (jothicnm Backh., because we know the British plant 

 to which Backhouse applied Fries's name ; whilst it is now un- 

 certain what plant Fries exactly meant, and Scandinavian students 

 of the genus have in consequence given up his name, a course in 

 which we readily concur. Backhouse's variety Jatijoliiun is perhaps 

 no more than a broad-leaved form, connected with the type by 

 intermediates ; its distinctness is, however, satisfactorily evidenced 

 under the test of cultivation. H. (h/weni is described in the Journal 

 of Botcoi I/, 1897,1^. 4:07." 



The Irish Naturalist for October contains a biography and 

 portrait of the late William Archer, F.R.S., who died in Dublin 

 on August 14. Mr. Archer was born 6 May, 1830, and was one 

 of the founders (in 1819) of the Dublin Microscopical Club, and 

 later took an important part in the meetings of the Dublin Natural 

 History Society, in whose Proceeilings many of his papers were pub- 

 lished. His work was mainly devoted to the Dcsmidiaace ; Mr. 

 William Frazer, in the biography already referred to, says : — 

 " When following out his favourite investigations, which related 

 in greater part to the Desniidiao'CE. and allied groups, he made long 

 journeys to distant parts of Ireland, wherever he considered there 

 was promising ground for theii- discovery. He also obtained ex- 

 ceptional acquaintance with German, as well as with Danish and 

 other Scandinavian languages, and developed decided artistic talent 

 far making accurate drawings of these minute and interesting forms, 

 the life-history of which he devoted himself to work out and plaoe 

 on record. The writer is aware that many sleepless nights were 

 spent in ceaseless observations of the conjugation and development 

 of these objects ; he thought himself well repaid if he could add 

 something new to science, or contribute to clear up a dubious point 

 respecting their growth." Mr. Archer also published papers in the 

 Quartcrhj Journal of Microscopical Science, and elsewliere ; three 

 contributions from his pen appear in this Journal for 1871. lu 

 187] Mr. Archer was elected F.R.S., and in 1876 he was appointed 



