ON THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE BRITISH SALICES. -169 
by-that-newly-established society, seems to suspect that Fries has not 
treated him quite fairly. He almost suggests that Fries derived. his 
views from the above-mentioned Dutch paper. It is clear that Fries 
knew» something about its contents, for he says (* Mantissa,’ i. 37): 
* Duplicem [methodum], alteram e nectariis (que observands ipse 
jam ante finxeram), alteram e staminum numero, dedit Dumortier. Illa 
omni attentione digne.” Fries certainly makes use of the nectary in his 
arrangement, and apparently did so at as early a date as Dumortier, 
for he quotes, in addition to the above remark in the * Mantissa,’ his 
own paper in the * Physiographiska Süllskapets Arsberüttelse ’ for 1824, 
as containing the greater part of the statements made in the * Mantissa.’ 
Not having been able to consult this Swedish journal, I. cannot state 
what is really contained in it, but should certainly expect to find there 
a more or less full outline of the classification used in the * Mantissa.’ 
Otherwise, Fries did not publish his views concerning the value of the 
nectary before Dumortier had announced his ideas on the subject. It 
is my belief that their conclusions were arrived at contemporaneously 
and independently. Neither of those botanists is likely to have appro- 
priated the labours of the other without acknowledgment... It is very 
unfortunate that each of them should have selected as his medium of 
publication a journal so little known out of its own neighbourhood, and 
written in a language so rarely understood. 
I propose to append to these remarks an attempt to arrange our 
British species in accordance with Dumortier’s recent classification, 
adding to his characters some points noticed in our books, and derived 
from the remarks of Borrer. It is highly satisfactory to find that very 
little alteration of the grouping proposed by that lamented botanist is 
requisite; and that, although he was not acquainted with the valuable 
characters pointed out by Dumortier, he formed a classification so 
nearly natural as that upon which the account of the Willows to be 
found in my * Manual’ is founded. We thus see what a very elear idea 
he had of the natural affinities of the species. As Dumortier takes no 
notice of the alpine species, they not belonging to the Belgian flora, I 
have had to add them as well as I canto the other groups. My object 
in now publishing this synopsis of the species is to endeavour to per- 
suade other botanists to examine the plants and critically study the 
characters proposed in it. 
