Field Meetings. 143 
that, in these earlier orders, even the critical species are what 
they profess to be. The rest of the herbarium is not named up 
to the London catalogue, but after Bentham’s Flora, and only 
pretends to give the species in Bentham’s sense. 
I regret to say, however, that members of the Society have not 
availed themselves of the collection to the extent which I hoped. 
Miss Hannay has very kindly offered to allow any member of the 
Society to consult it during the winter at her house (St. Mary’s 
House). The Society is deeply indebted to Miss Hannay for again 
offering to take charge of the herbarium during the cold and wet 
winter months, when it might perhaps suffer damage in a fireless 
room. While on this point, I should like to point out to members 
the importance of consulting frequently the plants themselves. A 
text book of botany is simply an attempt to portray in words the 
facts which, in a herbarium, are open to one’s hand and eye. 
Every text book is liable to error, and no text books perhaps are 
more misleading than botanical ones. The compiler of such a 
book, being human, makes mistakes ; and the student, being also 
human, is liable to misunderstand the compiler. Hence, for 
saving of time, and for real nature study, the study of a text 
book should be quite subordinate to that of the plants themselves. 
The Society has also to thank the Misses Hannay for the 
mounting of every specimen—a labour which has occupied an 
enormous time, and which requires the greatest care and unre- 
mitting attention. The manner in which the plants have been 
mounted is simply perfect, as members may see for themselves. 
We have also to thank the Misses Hannay for a very large 
number of specimens, and thanks are likewise due for specimens 
received from the following ladies and gentlemen—Miss Adams 
and Miss 8. D. Johnston, Miss Milligan, Miss Copland, Miss 
Hamilton, Mrs Thomson, and Mrs Gilchrist-Clark ; and Mr 
Coles, Mr Corrie, Mr Harper, Mr J. T. Johnstone, Mr M‘Andrew, 
Mr Masterman, and Mr Scott-Elliot. 
I venture, however, to ask the members of the Society again to 
send as many specimens as possible to me or the Misses Hannay, 
even if it is only for naming, partly because it is only in this way 
that names can be kept quite correct, and partly in order that 
the many doubtful or rare plants of the County can be 
successfully kept in order. It is very important that specimens 
with ripe fruit should be sent, as in many critical forms the fruit 
