is :— " ' Uebergangsfonnen." My experiei 
does not agree . . . as to 'the abundant < 
of these. This term would apply of course both to natural 
hybrids and to seedling varieties. 1 have taken note more of the 
former of these. But the writers of the flora* of different parts 
of the Alps agree with me rather, if their silence means anything. 
between two species, with the few exceptions [gave in a 
former letter. There is a complete • conspiraev of sil.-nc ' aimm-M 
them. When Kerner wrote on ' Primel-Hasiarte ' in 1ST."), w«.nM 
he not have carefully noted the existence of 'any number of in- 
termediates ' if he or his botanical friends had ever come across 
them ? In idea three primary Bastarte and six secondary are 
possible, ami yet Kerner sa> s that these secondary Hastarto. as also 
the triple Fastarto, are 'extremolv rare': and anion*: Prinmlor 
he only knows of P. hijlora and P. IJohri, thus Lmorim: alto- 
gether the existence of ' any number of intermediates' between 
cowslip and primrose. Between these two last he describes hut 
two : P. hrevistyla, DC. (sub-«w"//< x njjiriimlis) and /'. jh t[l ,l. 
licaulis, Komor (supeiw/ovW/x x ujHrinoli*). 1 nder the former 
head he refers to the difference in size=one-third of all the parts 
between Austrian and French specimens, but no hint is added ot 
there being more than these two hybrids known, lb quotes 
Boreau as testifying to the existence of these t>n> hybrids in the 
centre of France. Now if Boreau had observed more than these 
two, would he nor have described them:- In Foeke's • Misch- 
linge,' p. 246, however, he quotes Loret as saying that ' I' 1 ; 
he found '/''"<" Uohergangsformen " between nrtnilt* and rlofmr^. 
He adds, a little further on, 'evident transitions//^ '/< ,"'/'."'" 
(primrose and cowslip) do not appear to have been observed m a 
wild stat- ; I hav,- often soiidi! for such near the lake of Geneva, 
but in vain.' . . . I know about Geum rival'' and >,^///</,/».-.«. 
but I should like to know how nu-mi/ intermediam?;. I do not 
believe in any number. I have referred to (.-irenier and (>.>,, ron > 
'Flore de France,' and to Xaegeli. but 1 am 
tain that in a wild state 'any nuuiher of intermediate- is a \ei\ 
rare phenomenon. Can Baker give me the three pnmar\ ami six 
seeomiarv intermediates between cowslip and prnnro-e : ; vi- 
they all in the Herbarium ? When I hav* -ni ti - 
more credulous of the existence i ™ '■'". : ur ' 
There is plenty more to say : but my eyes and wrist are nre< . 
These extracts from Churchill's letter- may serve 
interesting ;IS ;l . correspondent lie could be, and to : 
the manner in which he faced any problem conm-m 
Alps, and the information he was able to bring to bear on 
discussion. 
The portraits of Churchill show that in middle life he was an 
exceedinglv handsome man. in .erne n -; 
resemblance to Tennyson. He was a man of unvaryn - 
and gentleness, alwavs n ad> to as.ist. from the stores tf h* 
knowledge or from his i. -rbarium. those w I-,. appmd to ^m f<* 
nformation regarding the flora of Europe. ]& h*W**™™ 
laaalreadvb. o.trument 
