2 A. G. Tansley. 
Botanists at Vienna in 1905, the International Congress of Geo- 
graphy at Geneva in 1908, and the International Congress of 
Botanists at Brussels in 1910. 
The Swiss botanists are particularly energetic and successful 
in organising botanical excursions in connexion with their botanical 
curricula; they regard such excursions as an essential part of the 
training of their own students; and they always welcome the presence 
of foreigners in the kindest way, and do everything that enthusiasm 
and the utmost goodwill can suggest to facilitate the study of their 
beautiful native vegetation. Nor have they confined their efforts 
entirely to the needs of their own students or to their own 
country. The excursion through Switzerland in connexion with the 
International Congress of Geography at Geneva in 1908, organised 
and conducted by Professor Schröter of Zürich, was in all respects 
a model of what an international excursion should be, and suggested 
to the present writer the idea of a similar excursion in the British 
Isles, which has been carried out this year, and is the occasion of 
the present article. The Swiss excursion of 1908 was attended by 
Professor Flahault of Montpellier, by Dr. and Frau von Hayek of 
Vienna, by Dr. Ostenfeld of Copenhagen, by Professor Rothert of 
Odessa, by Dr. Scharfetter of Villach and by the present writer, 
as well as by several Swiss botanists under the leadership of 
Professor Schréter and Dr. E. Riibel of Ziirich. It lasted eleven 
days, during which Mount Pilatus, the Sihltal at Einsiedeln, the 
lakes of the Canton Ticino and the neighbouring part of Italy, the 
Bernina region, and the neighbourhood of St. Moritz in the 
Engadine were visited. In writing of the work of the Swiss in this 
connexion mention should be made of the “ Naturwissenschaftliche 
Studienreise” organised by Professor Rikli of Zürich in the spring 
of every alternate year. Visits have been made to the Balearic 
Islands, to Madeira and the Iberian peninsula, and in the spring 
of 1910, to Algeria. Next summer there is to be an expedition to the 
South Russian steppes and to the Caucasus. These expeditions, 
intended primarily for the students of the Federal Polytechnic at 
Zürich, are nevertheless open to foreigners and others who have 
some definite scientific object to pursue, and are most useful in 
affording opportunities of visiting various places in Southern Europe 
and neighbouring regions at a minimum of cost, and in company with 
fellow-workers. The object of these excursions is not however 
primarily botanical, but includes geology, zoology, ethnology and 
so on, though the interests of plant-geographers play a considerable 
