96 



THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



has made so many interesting discoveries, notably in Primula, of 

 which one range alone produced forty species : figures of some 

 species, reproduced from photographs, accompany the paper. 

 Mr. W. B. Mercer writes on "An Oidium Mildew on Carnations"; 

 Mr. A. G. Jackman, whose father is commemorated in the popular 

 C. X Jackmanni which he raised in 1858, on " The Clematis, its 

 Development and Cultivation " ; Dr. E. J. Eussell contributes the 

 first of a series on " Eecent Plant Investigations on the Produc- 

 tion of Plant Food in the Soil." 



Says the Westminster Gazette : " Here were patches of purple 

 heather — a rare plant in Ballymoyle — and ragged robin, and 

 watercress, with its blue, forget-me-not flower" — a somewhat 

 uncommon form to which we find no reference in the Flora 

 Hibernica. 



We have been asked for information regarding a victim of 

 botanical zeal whose fate has been going the rounds of the papers : 

 the following, from the Observer of January 30, throws some light 

 on the matter: — 



"From the Observer of 1816 

 (quoted in last week's Obser- 

 ver). 

 " A few days ago, as the Eev. 

 Mr. Lawson, curate of Needham 

 Market, was walking and leisure- 

 ly botanising near the planta- 

 tions of Barking Hall, he was 

 caught in a man-trap, and 

 though some persons were at- 

 tracted to the spot by his cries, 

 they w^ere unable to release him, 

 and he remained for nearly an 

 hour and a half suffering the 

 most excruciating pain before 

 the gamekeeper could be found 

 to unlock this cruel instrument 

 of human vengeance. Mr. L.'s 

 leg was much lacerated." 



" From Truth, January 26, 1916. 

 " A few days ago a curate of 

 Needham Market while on a 

 botanical ramble near the plan- 

 tations of Barking Hall was 

 caught in a man-trap. His 

 cries attracted some persons to 

 the spot, but they were unable 

 to release him, and he remained 

 in the trap for an hour and a 

 half until a gamekeeper came 

 along, unlocked the trap, and 

 set him free with a badly 

 lacerated leg. I had thought 

 that the use of these devices for 

 dealing with poachers was ex- 

 tinct, but since that does not 

 appear to be the case, the local 

 police ought to take prompt 

 action to bring to book those re- 



sponsible for setting the trap." 



We regret to announce the deaths of Sir Clements Egbert 

 Markham (January 30) and Canon Henry Nicholson Ellacombe 

 (February 10), of whom some notice will appear in an early issue. 



