266 TRANSACTIONS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THK [Sess. i.xvii. 



in a systematic way, the distribution of a species within 

 the district included in the flora or list. A few localities 

 are enumerated for many species, and the other parts of 

 the districts are seldom if ever mentioned. Often little 

 more is given than a mere list of names of species, without 

 notes of whether these are natives, or introduced by man, 

 and, if the latter, whether they are casuals or planted or 

 naturalised, weeds of fields or near houses, rare or frequent. 

 Or, if such notes are given, they are so in the most arbitrary 

 way, and often mislead instead of aiding the inquirer. 

 Naturally, the older books and lists are very defective in 

 their treatment of critical groups, whether these relate to 

 polymorphic genera or to forms usually regarded as varieties 

 of polymorphic species. 



A good deal of experience in the use of the published 

 records, and also in trying to work out the flora of limited 

 areas in a systematic way, had led me to certain views 

 with regard to the work that is still much required, both 

 in the field and in the preparation of satisfactory records 

 of local floras ; and these views may be put forward for 

 criticism. 



When the plants of Scotland were flrst studied, it was 

 scarcely possible to do more than to note the occurrence of 

 species here and there during journeys, and, naturally, 

 more interest was excited by the rarer and more local 

 species than by those common everywhere. It was hardly 

 to be expected that local botanists could be found with 

 knowledge and opportunity to qualify them for an ex- 

 haustive study of the districts around their homes. A few 

 localities became known as habitats, either from their 

 vicinity to the larger towns or from exceptional wealth of 

 species. Their reputation led to their being visited by 

 generations of botanists, and all the more local and rarer 

 forms in them were put on record, often many times. 

 But they drew to themselves the attention that would 

 otherwise have been distributed more widely over the 

 country, and, in consequence, many districts remained 

 almost unvisited until a late period, and comparatively 

 few have been really well explored throughout. 



Some works on local floras endeavour to give somewhat 

 full information with regard to the plants treated of, e.g. 



