THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEPATICiE IN SCOTLAND 37 



Thalictrum dunense Dum. in Cornwall. — Having recently 

 had occasion to go over my collection of Thalictrum specimens, I 

 was much surprised to find a sheet containing three plants 

 gathered on June 22nd, 1899, by Mr. A. O. Hume, at the Eill 

 Head, Lizard, which answer to all the descriptions of T. dunense 

 that I have been able to consult, as well as agree in every detail 

 with authorized specimens which I possess from Sutherlandshire. 

 Mr. Hume, with whom I have been in communication on the 

 subject, informs me that his specimens of the same gathering are 

 perfectly identical with plants in his herbarium obtained from 

 several British localities, and he has not the slightest doubt that 

 they are all T. dunense. A few weeks ago Miss C. E. Larter sent 

 me several plants of this species, which she had collected near 

 Torquay. This, I believe, is also a first record for Devon. — 

 F. Hamilton Davey. 



REVIEWS. 



The Distribution of Heimticce, in Scotland. By Symers M. 

 Macvicar. 8vo, wrapper, pp. vi. 336 (Transactions of the 

 Botanical Society of Edinburgh, vol. xxv. 1910). 



This is an important work, and as the writer states in the 

 preface "is a new departure for Scotland, in this branch of 

 botany." It begins with some very short "historical" notes of 

 all the botanists who have worked more or less at the Hepatics 

 of Scotland, and gives the additions made by each to the Elora of 

 Scotland, from Sir Eobert Sibbald (1641-1722), down to the 

 present day. Then follow some " general notes on the flora and 

 rainfall," and on "Atlantic" species. Next comes a comparison 

 of the Hepatic Flora of Scotland with that of other countries, 

 which is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of their distri- 

 bution in the northern hemisphere. A " sketch of the flora of 

 the Watsonian provinces " brings into prominence the fact that 

 the presence or absence of Hepatics in any country is largely a 

 question of climate and heavy rainfall, and shelter or shade in 

 places from the direct rays of the sun. 



The author has not overlooked the "associations" of the 

 Hepatics — a branch of their ecology which has hitlierto been 

 untouched by any writer on the botany of the British Islands, 

 and of which doubtless much more can be made. The successful 

 introduction given will act as a stimulus to other investigators in 

 this fascinating department of field botany. 



The list given at p. 49 of " Works quoted " strangely omits 

 the following, all of which are referred to in this book : — Census 

 Catalogue of British Hepatics (1905) ; Transactions of the Botani- 

 cal Society of Edinburgh, vol. i. ; Transactions, do. for 1902 ; 

 Transactions of Dumfries Natural History Society, 1887-90 ; 

 Phytologist, 1842. A bibliography or list of the literature of the 

 Scottish Hepatics would liavo enhanced the usefulness and com- 

 pleteness of the work, and would iiave enal)led Mr. Macvicar to 



