1906-1907-] Hints on the Study of Hepatics. 351 



shoots from near the base of the perianth are to be seen, mak- 

 ing it to appear as if lateral instead of terminal. Perianths 

 are not always present, but they are very frequently. The 

 chief points to note are the shape, whether round or flattened, 

 smooth or plicate, the mouth wide or contracted, entire, 

 toothed, or ciliate. These characters are of great assistance 

 in determining the species, or in some cases the genus. Some 

 genera have the perianths placed on the posterior side of the 

 stem, but in most of these cases the beginner will find the 

 characters derived from the perianth too difficult to assist, and 

 leaf- characters alone must be relied on. 



In small and in tender species the scalpel is too coarse 

 an instrument to employ, as it would break the stems. In 

 such cases the needles must be used in separating single 

 plants from a tuft, and this must always be done under 

 water. 



If the student will draw under the camera lucida the vari- 

 ous parts of the specimens which he examines, it will be 

 found that the characters of each species will be more rapidly 

 retained in his memory. A cheap neutral-tint camera will 

 be sufficient. Measurements of the various parts of the speci- 

 men may also be taken by this means. 



In preparing specimens for the herbarium, the soil must be 

 washed off as much as possible, the tufts divided into a con- 

 venient size and placed between sheets of drying-paper. The 

 amount of pressure to be given will soon be learned by ex- 

 perience : much less is required than for flowering - plants. 

 Care should be taken to make neat and characteristic speci- 

 mens. When dry they are placed in packets, on which is to 

 be written the name of the species, locality, date, and col- 

 lector's name, with particulars regarding soil, &c. The 

 packets can then be pinned on sheets, each sheet being de- 

 voted to one species, or the packets may be kept loose in 

 drawers, the principal point being to have them so arranged 

 that any species may be easily referred to when desired. 



There is, unfortunately, no good handbook to Hepaticae in 

 English at a moderate price. Our standard work on the sub- 

 ject, Mr W. H. Pearson's ' The Hepaticse of the British Isles,' 

 has a full-page plate to each species, and is very expensive, 

 the uncoloured edition being about £6, 6s. If the beginner 



