NOTES AND QUERIES EXCHANGE ORIGINAL ARTICLES. 



Ill 



it : the generic character, and the 

 specific characters of the s^Decies. 

 Thus a true knowledge of the plants 

 would he ohtained, and the powers 

 of ohservation and discrimination 

 improved. If our local societies and 

 cluhs would do this they would 

 make botanists not simply collectors. 

 W. G. seems to fear that one 

 object of the Horticultural Society's 

 Prizes was to sell the '* three or 

 four books mentioned." Now it 

 happens that the authors of the three 

 most pypminent British Floras all 

 protested against the prizes, viz. : — 

 Sir J. W. Hooker, Dr. Walker 

 Arnott, Mr. Bentham, and myself. 

 I do not recollect if any other books 

 were " mentioned, " and have not 

 the circular of the Society at hand, 

 but if others were named it is pro- 

 bable that their author's names will 

 also be found amongst the remon- 

 strants. We do not insert many, if 

 any, exact localities in our books, 

 and so could not require or use the 

 information which your correspon- 

 dent suspects was intended to be 

 provided for our future editions. 



But I think that your correspon- 

 dent's paper is valuable and well 

 timed ; although he is mistaken in 

 this one respect. The suggestion 

 in his last paragraph is excellent, 

 and will I hope he acted upon. 

 I am. Gentlemen, 



Obediently yours, 

 Charles C. Babington. 

 Cambridge, 8th July, 1864. 



Relaxing Coleoptera. — In reply to 

 the query on page 80, if W. H. C. 

 when collecting Coleoptera will put 

 them in a bottle containing bruised 

 Laurel leaves, his captures will be 

 dead in a few minutes, and after 

 remaining in the bottle two or three 

 days will be quite relaxed. — E. Gra- 

 ham, 15, Victoria Street, Blackpool. 



Clostera anaclioreta. — I have larvae 

 of this species in duplicate, and shall 

 be glad to send a few to any one 

 who requires them. Applicants 

 must pay postage. — Wii. Porteus, 

 17, Dean St., Pellon Lane, Halifax. 



®ngmal %xikth%. 



AN EXCURSION TO SHERWOOD FOREST. 



By B. Bradley. 



Sherwood Forest. This once thickly wooded tract, of some twenty 

 miles in length, and from five to seven in breadth, was, as stated by 

 Gilpin in his " Forest Scenery," the frequent scene of Royal amusements ; 



