PLAN OF THE FLORA. IXXUI 



No system of artificial divisions of the parish has been adopted* 

 but every care has been taken to present concisely as faithful 

 a picture as possible of its habitat, range and abundance. 

 The usual terms employed are : Very common, common, 

 infrequent, rare, and very rare, representing a diminishing 

 sequence. ' Frequent,' when used, represents a stage between 

 ' common ' and ' infrequent.' Next the habitat is given, and 

 lastly, except in the case of the commonest plants, either all 

 the stations in which the species has been observed since 

 1885, or a sufficient number of them to indicate its range. A 

 word as to the system of punctuation is necessary. "Sun 

 Wood, Walter Clough, Ogclen, Norland," represent as many 

 separate localities. But where a less known locality is given 

 it is often supplemented by the name of the township, &c, 

 and then a semicolon is employed to separate the stations, e.g., 

 " Tag Lock, Elland ; \\ 'illow Wood, Sowerby ; Broadhead 

 Wood, Erringden," enumerates three places only. 



The stations in this last paragraph are based on the records 

 of the Botanical (now Natural History) Section of the Halifax 

 Scientific Society, of which I have been custodian since 1893. 

 As a rule no personal authority is mentioned for these ; indeed, 

 it would be difficult to do so. Nor have I made use of any 

 sign to denote my own personal knowledge of a species or its 

 stations, for there are very few cases in which I have not seen 

 both. But I could not omit to mention the names of some of 

 the members who have contributed to the common fund, for 

 it is only by their sustained interest in the botany of the 

 parish that the list attains its completeness. Messrs. J. T. 

 Aspin, U. Bairstow, J. H. Bolton, W. H. Cooke, C. Crossland, 

 and J. Wms. SutclifTe, have all been closely associated with the 

 work of the Section, and Mr. J. Whiteley links this with the 

 last list of plants, that in the Circulator. Help has also been 

 freely rendered by Mr. J. Needham, of Hebden Bridge, and 

 the members of the Ovenden, Elland, and W r est Vale Natur- 

 alists' Societies. To Mr. C. E. Moss I am especially indebted 

 for many suggestions whilst the Flora has been passing through 

 the press, in addition to much information with regard to the 

 sedges, grasses, &c. The late Mr. H. T. Soppitt also took a 

 deep interest in the production of the Flora, and brought his 

 extensive experience and keen perception to bear upon local 

 problems with great success. 



