334 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [185» 



species have been detected in England. One I think is certainly 

 P. Lamottei, and the other may very probably be P. Lecoqii, although 

 I have some little doubt about the true name of the latter, owing ta 

 the petals not agreeing. I wish that we could have settled the 

 question this season, but that is now quite impossible. I shall have 

 to make what I can of our plants in my " Cambridge Flora " next 

 spring, — leaving much in doubt. I have Snooke's little book, and 

 have thought that he has received less credit than he deserved for 

 it. I got it on my first visit to the island, as long since as 1829. 

 I hope to start on Monday for the scientific meeting at Aberdeen. 

 It will be too late for out-of-door botany, but I may perhaps do a 

 little in herbaria. — Yours very truly, Charles C. Babington. 



To A. G. More, Esq. 



Cambridge, Oct. 16, 1859. 

 Dear More, — Your letters are always interesting to me — more 

 so than they were formerly, for they shew much more accuracy of 

 observation and judgment. I thank you for writing fully upon any 

 points that may occur to you. My idea is that Papaver modestmn 

 may perhaps have yellow juice, and that Cr6pin may not be quite 

 correct in his nomenclature. The capsule of my suspected P. modes- 

 turn is oblong club-shaped, that is, not narrowing much until near the 

 base, and constricted just at it, so that the actual base widens a little, 

 but is still narrower than the torus. Its stigmatic disk is broader 

 than the capsule, convex-conic, and folds over the edge of the capsule 

 when young and middle-aged : ultimately it becomes quite flat, or 

 even turns up a little at the edge. All the hairs on the peduncle 

 are adpressed. Unfortunately, Cr6pin says nothing about the petals 

 of which Boreau gives an account. My plant has them obovate 

 wedge-shaped, and not overlapping each other, whilst those of 

 Boreau's Lecoqii are orbicular and overlap, i.e. are like those of 

 Rhoeas. If Boreau is correct, our plant can hardly be his Lecoqii — 

 if Cr6pin is so, it can hardly be his modestum. I really do not know 

 what to say in such a difficult case, and unfortunately, I must say 

 something in my " Cambridge Flora " next spring. It is often very 

 difficult to understand the French writers, for they do not take 

 enough care to mention the same parts of characters in allied plants. 

 If Boreau had told us definitely of what colour the sap of his 

 modestum is, we should have had less trouble. Jordan is equally 

 deficient in that respect. I am sorry that you had such unfavourable 

 weather in the islands. Undoubtedly, Jersey is very far the most 

 beautiful island of them all. If you have not got a copy of my 

 "Primitiae," I will send you one. I thought that I had long since 

 given one to you. I am sorry to say that I have lots of them, and 

 that the sale is at an end, so one is quite at your service, or more if 

 you want them. We had a grand meeting at Aberdeen, and I was 

 well pleased that I went there, notwithstanding the long journey. 

 PmU are almost wanting near to that town. At Edinburgh I got a 



