118 Report on the Herbaiuum. 



science that any doubtful and peculiar forms should have to be 

 forwarded to England for comparison with private herbaria there. 

 Our collection is now in such a forward condition that any ordinary 

 forms, and many critical varieties, can be named by members for them- 

 selves without resorting- to English correspondents, and it is quite 

 Avithin the power of the Society to take for the Southern Scottish Coun- 

 ties the position occupied by Mr Bennett of Croydon for the British 

 Flora as a whole. All that is required for this end is that mem- 

 bers should collect larg-e quantities of such doubtful forms as 

 Ranunculus aquatilis, Rubus, Oaiices, Hieracia and compare them 

 with the collection at present existing to detect the rarities not 

 represented. I shall be, of course, most happy to name any sent 

 to me, and particularly any in the early part of the Flora to the 

 end of Leguminoste inclusive. There is an unfortunate tendency 

 in British Botany to multiply names without any sufficient reason, 

 and this can only be kept in check by having the largest possible 

 series of forms to work with. I must, therefore, beg our local 

 members to gather and press as many forms as they can, and to 

 make also careful notes of the localities and circumstances under 

 which they found the plants. 



In fact the great want of our herbarium is at present students. 

 I am constantly asked to reconnnend an easy book on botany, but 

 by far the easiest book, and the one which is incapable of an 

 untruth, is the herbarium. A few minutes occupied in turning 

 over the leaves are worth many hours occupied in studying- books 

 on botany. Hence, during the winter. I strong-ly recommend all 

 our scientific members to pay frequent visits to the collection, and 

 learn the living plants themselves. 



The Society has again to thank the Misses Hannay for the 

 excellent condition of the specimens, and for the peculiarly neat 

 and careful way in which every plant is mounted. No one who 

 has not tried it can appreciate the labour and care which the 

 Misses Hannay have spent on this work, and the Society is very 

 deeply indebted to them. 



The thanks of the Society are due to Mr Bennett of Croydon, 

 for the donation of a set of East Anglian specimens. 



30th September, 1892, 



i 



