490 Miscellaneous. 



opened since tliey were placed there, exactly a year and a half ago. 

 The same may be said of Helix dvplicata and paupercula of Lowe 

 (collected at the same time as the last) ; I have both in large quan- 

 tities, perfectly active, though only now for the first time taken out 

 of the boxes in which they were originally placed. 



" I have also a few specimens of a minute Madeira species, Helix 

 lentiyinosa, Lowe, which I have ascertained to be alive, although 

 they are so small that it is difficult to conceive how sufficient moisture 

 to support life can have been retained through this long period." 



These observations, made by an accvirate and trustworthy natu- 

 ralist, may well take the place of those extravagant stories — borrowed 

 from newspapers — which we too often find detailed in "popular Con- 

 chologies." Yours truly, 



W. Francis, Esq. S. P. Woodward. 



CHARACTERS OF NEW BRITISH RUBT*. 



1 . " R. Colemanni (Blox.) ; stem smooth, angular, with very 

 numerous straight unequal slightly declining scattered prickles 

 arising from a dilated base ; aciculi and setse few ; teaves quinate 

 and ternate, green with scattered hairs above, paler and densely pu- 

 bescent beneath, central leaflet orbicular cordate abruptly cuspidate, 

 lower pair nearly sessile overlapping [the intermediate pair] ; panicle 

 long, narrow, leafy, branched at the base, setose, with very numerous 

 straight declining prickles ; calyx reflexed, — It differs from R. dume- 

 torum in the almost total absence of setse from the bai'ren stem, the 

 form of the terminal leaflet and direction of the calyx. Discovered 

 by the Rev. W. H. Coleman in a hedge at Packington, near Ashby 

 de la Zouch. It appears somewhat intermediate between R. infestus 

 (W. and N.) and R. Graboioskii (W.)."—Fl. Leic. 38. 



This plant does not appear to me to have either the look or cha- 

 racters of R. dumetorum (W. and N.), and is much more nearly allied 

 to R. Grahowskii (Bab.). Its barren stems appear to lose their 

 setse at an early period, as I can find none upon the specimens with 

 which I have been favoured by Messrs. Bloxam and Coleman. The 

 presence of setae upon the barren stem and the unequal prickles of 

 that part will distinguish it from R, Grahowskii. — C. C. B. 



2. " R. calvatiis (Blox.) ; stem arching, angular, sulcate, nearly 

 devoid of hairs, of a shining red when exposed to the sun, prickles 

 numerous strong declining not confined to the angles ; leaves large, 

 quinate, green on both sides, almost devoid of hairs the prominent 

 ribs only being conspicuously ciliated, leaflets all stalked, the central 

 one ovate or cordate-ovate sharply and deeply apiculate-dentate-acu- 

 minate ; panicle long, flexuose, with numerous axillary gradually 

 shortening, many-flowered branches, leafy nearly to the summit ; 

 peduncles densely hairy, closely armed with long pale prickles ; calyx 

 tomentose, the sepals loosely reflexed in flower and fruit. — A large 



* Extracted from Miss Kirby's ' Flora of Leicestershire.' They are 

 fi-om the pen of the Rev. Andrew Bloxam. The book was published in 

 June 1850. 



