1849] BOTANICAL CORRESPONDENCE. 311 



To the same. 

 St. John's College, Cambridge, Aug. 18, 1849. 

 My dear Sir, — I was much pleased to learn that you contem- 

 plate a " short account," as you call it, of the Glycerias, as I fancy 

 that there is still something to be made out concerning them. 

 Several botanists of my acquaintance have examined them, and 

 suspected that a third species existed, but have not been successful 

 in detecting good distinctive marks for the three. I have never 

 ibeen able to determine upon what Fries founds his name (plicate) as I 

 'do not find that the leaves of that plant are especially plicate. Mr. 

 Newbould thought that a distinction might be found in the ridges 

 on the sheaths of the leaves. — Believe me, dear Sir, very truly 

 yours, Charles C. Babington. 



To the same. 

 St. John's College, Cambridge, Sept. 11, 1849. 

 My dear Sir, — I have only recently received your letter of the 

 25th of Aug. and have therefore found the flower of Epipadis in a 

 perfectly dry state. I have endeavoured to determine its form by 

 softening, but, somehow or other, have not succeeded. The want 

 of the central spot upon the lip puzzles me, as that is a part of the 

 •constant structure of the allies of E. latifolia. Is it not a monstrous 

 specimen, or may there possibly have been some error ? The 

 E. ovalis grows amongst the loose heaps of stones at the foot of the 

 limestone rocks. How will that accord with the station of your 

 plant 1 Perhaps you had better let the matter rest until next year, 

 and then endeavour to find more of it, as doubtless there is plenty 

 of the plant if well hunted for. I find that you have sent an article 

 to the " Botanical Gazette " upon the Glycerias, I suppose. I have 

 just been examining them here, and feel satisfied that there are 

 three well marked plants (species or not) and as I have not your 

 specimen at hand, having in all probability returned it to you, I 

 am unable to state to which of them I should now refer it. My 

 friend Mr. Townsend paid considerable attention to them some 

 time since, but did not then succeed in convincing me of the 

 •distinctness of the three plants, although he was quite satisfied of 

 it himself. He did not publish an account of them. I go to 

 Birmingham to-morrow, for the British Association Meeting, and 

 may possibly be in your neighbourhood afterwards, but am 

 uncertain. — Yours very truly, Charles C. Babington. 



To Professor J. H. Balfour, M.D. 



St. John's College, Cambridge, Oct. 6, 1849. 

 Dear Balfour, — I was much disappointed at not seeing you at 

 Birmingham, and greatly grieved to learn the cause of your absence. 

 I trust that Mrs. Balfour is now restored to health. We had a 



