334 THE JOUltlsAL OF BOTAXX 



the Afriplex and Scirj^us seeds may easily have reached this distant 

 inland ^varping by flotation alone, but not so the Aster and Jidicus. 

 These must surely have come in the same way as the Jvncus reached 

 and has spread in this parish — by carriage, while sticking b}^ their 

 mucosity or chance to drift of some kind. Only yesterda}^ (^^g- ^) 

 aft(?i" I had been Avalking through very long wet grass, I sat talking 

 to a friend for two hours : when I rose to go I found two seeds of 

 Taroxacum vuhjare still sticking to my trench boots, along with a 

 young Helix rufescens : Taraxacum shows no more mucosity than 

 Aster does. It is curious that these four estuarine species have only 

 been recorded for our warpings during the last hundred ^^ears ; it is 

 equally curious that Camelina sativa, which also sticks from its 

 mucosity, has been reported from some warpings also at various 

 times. 



HYBRID ORCHIDS. 



TuE recently issued Report of the Winchester College Natural 

 History Society for 1915-17 is largely concerned with hybrid Orchids, 

 in which the neighbourhood of Winchester appears singularly rich. 

 The observations recorded by the Rev. S. A. McDonald and three of 

 his pupils have been communicated to Dr. Keller, of Aarau, who 

 jjroposes to embody them in his forthcoming work on Orchids. 

 During the last two j^ears there have been observed : " A new form 

 of Mabernaria riridis^x Gymnadenia conopsea {GympJatanthera 

 Jacksonii), Orchis Fuclisii X S. viridis (two types), O. FucJisii X 

 O. 2^rcBtermissa, O. prcetermissa X O. incarnata, 0. prcetermissa X 

 O. latifolia, O.ericetorum {^macidata L.) X O. incarnata, O. erice- 

 torum X prcBtermissa,'" Of each of these a detailed description is 

 given, accompanied by plates from drawings and photographs : the 

 hybrids hgured are O. prcstermissa X O. Fuclisii, O. FucJisii X 

 H. viridis (three forms), and O. incarnata x O. maciilata. 



Mr. McDowall writes : " The examination of some hundreds of 

 these plants inclines me more and more strongly to the belief that 

 O. latifolia and O. Fuchsii (=0. maculata) represent a single 

 dimorphic species, of which the down-forms have become fairly 

 stable, while the marsh-forms show every kind of intermediate. 

 Neither label, colour, shape of leaf, type of 's})otting (rings, or simple 

 spcjts, or blotches), hollo wness or solidity of stems, affords any definite 

 guide in these last. While the tyi)icjil marsh form of latifolia is 

 pei-fectly distinct from the typical marsh form of maculata (FucJisii), 

 these typical forms being the commonest, nevertheless every possible 

 intermediate, every conceivable combination of characters, exists. On 

 the other hand, prceteriuissa seems to be a constant and definite 

 species, at any rate in this district, though it is very ready to 

 hyln-idize with the other marsh-forms." O. ericetorum "and O. in- 

 cantata are well-marked and dethiite s])ecies ; both however are 

 inclined to h^ bridize with other forms, which may have helped to 

 cause confusion. 



