322 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [185$ 



my B. tnchophyllus from R. aquatilis, which has a conical one. I 

 have no present prospect of obtaining a specimen of B. peUatus for 

 you, but Avill bear it in mind. I strongly suspect that there are 

 even two included under that name. They both differ from 

 aquatilis by having the sides of the lobes of their floating leaves 

 rounded ; whilst the same parts are nearly or quite straight in 

 aquatilis, and also far more deeply divided, indeed often quite 

 separated into wedge-shaped stalked leaflets. In peltatus, and the 

 other supposed plant, the lobes are never (I think) separated to 

 their base, and if they were so, they would be triangular obovate, not 

 wedge-shaped. Also the leaves of peltatus have large few terminal 

 crenations, never being acutely cut as are those of aquatilis. They 

 are a most difficult tribe of plant, and those who combine them all, 

 save themselves from much vexation and trouble. But then that 

 is not the mode to promote science. I do not possess continental 

 specimens of B. confusus, and it is therefore quite possible that our 

 plant may be wrongly named. The stamens do seem (at the 

 opening of the flower) to be shorter than the pistils, but not so 

 afterwards. I wish you a pleasant time at the Lakes, and hope 

 that you will take care not to overwork yourself. — Yours very 

 truly, Charles C. Babington. 



To William Borrer, Esq. 



St. John's College, Cambridge, Sept. 22, 1853. 



My dear Sir, — I have this day received the very acceptable 

 specimens of Bosa hibernica from Cumberland. I presume that this 

 is the first occasion of its being found in England. I have recently 

 learned that the Potamogdon which inhabits the canal at Bath is 

 P. Jiabellatus, and also that it is plentiful in the ditches to the east 

 of Hull. As we detect its more extended range in England, it 

 becomes more and more interesting to learn Avhat may be its name 

 on the continent. In all probability it is included in P. pectinatus. 

 I have been attending recently to the Ardia, and find that I have 

 given Smith credit for far too little knowledge of them. His 

 A. Bardana is the A. tomentosum, and plentiful in this county; his 

 A. Lajypa is the A. minus. The A. majus (a common English plant) 

 seems to have been unknown to him, or confounded with A. Lappa. 

 A. intermedium (Lange) is the A. minus of Berwickshire. In 

 addition to these there is a possibly new one allied to A. tomen- 

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



To the same. 

 St. John's College, Cambridge, Oct. 28, 1863. 



My dear Sir, — I have hunted in all the places that occur to me 

 as likely to afford information about your Cichmium, but have not 

 succeeded in obtaining any name for it. Of course it is an exotic, 



