306 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [1849- 



of his " Introduction to Botany," in two volumes ? It seems a most 

 excellent work, and rather a treatise on botanical science than 

 introduction. You will have heard that we have carried our new 

 plans here, by which we purpose giving some credit to the Natural 

 Sciences. The plan is far from perfect, and will require much 

 alteration, either immediately or very soon. Our Botanical Garden 

 gets on well, and Murray, our curator, stands, in my opinion, quitfr 

 in the first rank of his profession. By the way, we have had no 

 answer, I think, from MacNab, to our begging letter for plants ta 

 add to our collection. It has brought in about 900 species from 

 other places. Could not he supply us with Alpine Scottish plants 

 and Carices, and such like ? If he looks over the list sent he will 

 perhaps find some old plants that may be acceptable to your garden 

 in return. Did Evans tell you of the French collection sent by me 

 to the Bot. Soc, and also that you were to take the first duplicate 

 out of it in all cases if you liked 1 The specimens are not very good, 

 but there is a large number of them. I told Evans to shew you my 

 letter about them, and hope that he did so, as I think that there 

 were some matters about the arrangements of the Society intended 

 for you to read. Has Taylor or Francis informed you of the new 

 botanical journal intended to be started in January next, to be 

 appropriated chiefly to popular and British botany, and so, of 

 course, to take the place intended to have been occupied by the 

 " Phytologist " ? It is to be under the superintendence of Henfrey 

 and Francis, and published, of course, at Taylor's office. Of course 

 you will support it, and promote its circulation in the north. I have 

 a description of a new Athjrium in hand, found at Keswick ; and 

 also a paper upon Fttmaria agraria (Lag) and its allies ; so that it is 

 probal)le that I may soon have some "grist for the mill" of the 

 Society. — Believe me, very truly yours, Charles C. Babington. 



To the Kev. W. H. Purchas. 



St. John's College, Cambridge, Feb. 8, 1849. 



My dear Sir, — I cannot wonder that you have found diflSculty 

 in the determination of Ruhi, for who does not ? Although highly 

 interesting plants, there are few that present so many impediments 

 to the progress of a botanist. I may say this of them both in the 

 field and study. I am much obliged to you for sending the doubted 

 specimens to me, and hasten to give you my opinion upon them. 

 That mai'ked 'C is R. leucostachys ; 'B' an extreme form of E. sylvaticus 

 /3 villicaulis. It deviates more strongly from the type of 11 vilUcaulis 

 than any that I had seen, by its narrowed not cordate base to the 

 leaflet, and straight prickles on the petioles. It interests me highly, 

 and is connected with the typical plant by a specimen of Mr. Bloxam's, 

 from Bardon Hill, Leicestershire. ' A' B. BaUngtonii, known by the 

 ver}^ peculiar armature of the barren shoot. It has more frequently 



