274 TRANSACTIONS AND PUOCKEDINGS OF THE [Sess. Lxvii. 



and small letters from east to west. Such a symbol as 

 77 Br I .| denotes very closely the locality of some plant 

 gathered on the bank of the Dee a few miles from Aber- 

 deen. The addition of K after the square would show that 

 it grew on the Kincardineshire side of the river. Thus a 

 good deal of writing is saved. The method is also excel- 

 lently suited to marking out on squared paper the actual 

 distribution of each species in a district. 



But if the areas are large {e.g. between half-degrees, 

 extending to 900 square minutes) the advantage of pre- 

 cision of reference is lost. They thus are useless alike 

 for notebook and for subsequent mapping, and they are, of 

 course, absolutely useless as indicating natural or well- 

 known political areas. 



In this, as in so many other cases, no one method 

 possesses all the advantages, and it is well to combine 

 them, so as in the end to secure all the help that can be 

 obtained. 



The geographical method, for publication, is most useful 

 when the distribution is exhibited on maps, so that the 

 eye can appreciate at one view the results expressed in 

 words only at considerable length and in a form difticult 

 to appreciate. With small areas it is, as already said, 

 exceedingly useful in field work. But it is not desirable 

 to ignore natural regions (such as river basins, etc.), though 

 often difficult to define in some respects, and usually them- 

 selves in need of sub-divisions based on varied conditions 

 of environment. It is unwise, too, to set aside well- 

 recognised political divisions, for these often appeal most 

 strongly to the local naturalists, and their co-operation is 

 most desirable in working out the distribution of both flora 

 and fauna. Theoretically there is no reason why the 

 investigation of, say, 20 or 25 square miles should not be 

 as heartily entered on as that of a parish, of 140 as of the 

 Cairngorm mountains, or of 2000 as of Aberdeenshire. 

 Yet there is no question that fewer would undertake the 

 one area than the other, though of nearly equal size. It 

 is likely that some of the teachers now being trained will 

 undertake the investigation of the districts around their 

 homes, and to them the parish, or the district, is the area 

 of greatest interest. To local societies the county or 



