286 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [1842 



To William Borrer, Esq. 



St. John's College, Cambkidge, Feb. 10, 1842. 



My dear Sir, — I am glad to learn that it is probable that we 

 shall meet on Tuesday evening. I shall dine at the club, if I reach 

 town in time, by Mr. Forster's invitation, and shall probably see 

 you then. There is a strong opposition to Kippist, but I hope that 

 he will be successful, as it would be too bad to supersede him after 

 such long service, and such good qualifications. The Brassica orien- 

 talis I consider to have been introduced with flax seed, as I only 

 saw it in one patch of flax, and there in small quantity. The Eri/- 

 simum virgatum is much more of "a native" than the Mimulus, in 

 my opinion. It is quite as good a native as the U. cheiranthoides, 

 under which name it has passed at Bath ("Flora Bath." p. 5), 

 growing upon cultivated ground, but of uncertain station, just as I 

 find E. cheiranthoides in the fens here. I am told that the Killie- 

 crankie station for Orohus niger is a good one. I was unable to stop 

 in that beautiful glen. I have just re-examined the Aira from 

 Langa with great care. We found two plants there, one of which 

 we considered as A. alpina, and the other as an Alpine form of 

 A. caespitosa. It is probable that I may have sent to you the former 

 under the name of the latter, as I must own myself quite unable to 

 point out any specific character by which alpina may certainly be 

 distinguished from caespitosa. Can you point out a constant one ? 

 I shall have a copy of our tract, " On the vegetation of the outer 

 Hebrides," for you when we meet in London. It commences the 

 third part of the " Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edin- 

 burgh." I hope that you will not think it very impertinent in me 

 to ask you to allow me to propose you as a non-resident member of 

 that rising Society. Non-resident members pay no annual subscrip- 

 tion, but, in place of it, one donation of <£3 3s. I have refrained 

 from asking you to join until the Society had made for itself a 

 name, and shewn itself worthy of the support of such persons as 

 you. Several of the leading members have expressed a wish that I 

 would ask you, but I have always declined doing so, and now if I 

 should have the success (which I confidently expect) of obtaining 

 your permission, they will be the more pleased by not expecting it. 

 I have no specimen of Calamagrostis stricta, and therefore cannot com- 

 pare C. lapponica with it. I have not time now to look to the j&. B. figure 

 of EpiloUum, and make the comparison with care, but will do so soon. 

 I shall be very glad to receive the Astrantia, and I think that there 

 were one or two other things that you were so good as to propose 

 to add to my collection. I have not seen Leefe lately, but make no 

 doubt that he is greatly pleased by having heard from you. I trust 

 that Mrs. Borrer and your family are well, and hope that you will 

 remember me to them, and believe me, most truly yours, Charles 

 C. Babington. 



