358 CHARLES CARDALE BABINGTON. [1863—64 



To T. K. Archer Briggs, Esq. 



Cahbridob, Dec. 24, 1863. 



My dear Sir, — I am very much obliged to you for the specimens 

 of Hypericum. Mr. Baker is quite right in thinking it different 

 from H. dubium. If a variety of anything it is one of H. quad- 

 rangulum {tetrapterum) ; but I can hardly think that such is the fact. 

 You do not say to what determination Baker arrived as to the name. 

 I consider it to be the R. decipiens of Watson, which is apparently 

 the H. baeticum of Boissier. It is just like a specimen of Watson's 

 plant, and agrees in all respects (except in not having "sepalis 

 obtuse crenatis") with Boissier's description in his Elenchus. 

 H. baeticum is the older name. It is a Spanish and Azorean plant. 

 But there seems to be even an older name, H. undulatum (Schousb.) 

 in Willd. Enum. 810. That is stated to grow in Barbary, and its 

 characters agree very well with your plant, which I suppose we 

 must call H. undulatum. Wishing you all the compliments of the 

 season. — Believe me to be, very truly yours, Charles C. Babington. 



I have found a specimen of H. undulatum, and suspect that our 

 plant is not the same (nor is Watson's the same), but think H. 

 baeticum must be the name of the British species. 



To the Rev. T. A. Preston. 



Cambridge, April 26, 1864. 



Dear Preston, — The Hort. Soc. are altering the terms of 

 competition for their prizes, so as to render them innocuous. 

 If you offer prizes, I should advise the number of species to be 

 limited to say 200 ; the rarity not to be taken into account. The 

 boy to do all himself from the use of my book or Hooker and 

 Arnott alone. No plates : no naming by others. Neatness of 

 preservation and correctness of nomenclature to be the points 

 required. I am glad to say that I have a very satisfactory class of 

 forty to fifty men. Walton has sent me the specimen of Verbascum 

 virgatum, gathered I think near Waterbech. — Yours truly, Charles 

 C. Babington. 



To the Rev. W. H. Purchas. 



Cambridge, May 4, 1864. 



Dear Purchas, — I write to say that the Hort. Soc. have altered 

 the conditions of their prizes, so as to remove the objections that 

 we saw to them. In a very few weeks' time I shall be at liberty, 

 for the men will no longer choose to attend lectures : then I should 

 like to have a view of as many Bubi as you may think fit to send. 

 The parcel would come cheaply by L. & N. W. Railway, without 

 change of conveyance. I have forty to fifty students, most of 

 them very attentive and industrious. — Yours truly, Charles C. 

 Babington, 



