96 >IEW PUBLICATIONS. 
the Chatham Islands plants are taken up 5 and, as there was no par- 
ticular hurry, collision would have been avoided. 
The collections made by various botanists in the islands comprise 
129 species of apparently indigenous plants. We should here observe 
tliat this number must be taken cum grano salts, as in this volume Dr. 
Mueller exhibits very advanced views in the definition of species, 
going far beyond even Dr. Hooter. The author feels this himself, and 
at page 7 offers some explanation, " The description of a genuine 
species," he says, " clearly should be so framed, as to admit of its em- 
bracing any of the aberrations from the more usual type, to which, 
under various climatic or geologic circumstances, a species can possibly 
be subject ; and the diagnosis should be so constructed as to include 
all the cardinal characters of the species, none of these ever admitting 
of exceptions," Of these 129 species, 42 are Dicotyledons, represent- 
ing 32 Orders and 37 genera; 20 are Monocotyledons, distributed over 
9. Orders and 19 genera; the remaining 67 plants are Acotyledons. 
There are besides 13 Mosses and 9 Lichens in Mr. Travers's collection. 
Only 9 phanerogamic plants are peculiar to the Chatham Islands, 8 of 
which are referable to the genera Coprosma, Ghigidiam^ Euryblay Se- 
necio, Leptinella, and Ifgrsbie, all represented in New Zealand ; whilst 
only 1 constitutes a genus peculiar to the islands {Mgosotidiitm nohile). 
Seven of these endemic species are figured in Dr. Mueller's book, the 
MyosotidiiDri being already known from the plate in the 'Botanical 
Magazine,* 
On the Sexual Relations of the Three Forms of Lythrum Salicaria. By 
Charles Darwin, P.R.3. (Reprinted from tlie Journal of the Linn. 
Soc. Botany, vol. vlii. p. 169.) 
No long time has elapsed since physiologists were startled with the 
results of Mr. Darwin's experiments on dimorphic Primroses 3 dimor- 
phism had, indeed, been previously noted in many genera, but sys- 
tematic botanists (herein laying themselves open to sucli unsparing 
comments as Professor Schleiden dealt out to them) paid but little 
attention to the subject. It was reserved for one in high repute as a 
geologist and as a zoologist, but little known in the world of botany, 
to unravel in great measure the singular life-history belonging to 
- the Orchidece, the Primroses, the Linums, etc. Other observers (such 
as Mr. J. Scott, Mr. Trimen, and others) soon took np the matter. 
