697 



tious of individuals, which botanists, accurate in miiuitiac, are so apt 

 to give us." (No. 58, p. 526). 



As a contrast to the habit of describing individuals for species, we 

 will now copy a suggestion by Mr. Spruce, which may rather astonish 

 some of the "species-splitters." Of Aquilegia pyrenaica, he observes, 

 " I do not see how this is to be kept apart from A. alpina, for I find 

 the spur always more or less curved at the extremity ; and I consider 

 it highly probable that both of them are merely alpine states of A. vul- 

 garis." (No. 28, p. 537). 



Tarry-at-home botanists, with every facility for drying specimens, 

 often make heavy complaints against the condition in which those of 

 distant countries are sent to us, and more especially those of intertro- 

 pical lands. An extract from Vogel's notes may teach us to make 

 some allowance for this frequently unavoidable defect. He writes, 

 " I am very comfortable on board, except when my collections are 

 lying about. When I return laden with plants, I have nowhere 

 to prepare them ; and when they are dry, the damp insinuates itself 

 to such a degree, that I am compelled to re-dry them. This is very 

 troublesome ; and on board a ship, especially a man-of-war, there is no 

 especial place for preparing or preserving plants. I am quite a nui- 

 sance to my messmates when I unpack them ; and so is the servant 

 who announces breakfast, lunch, &c., for the table must be cleared. 

 I must be off, and then I try to work on deck; but there the wind 

 and rain attack me, so that I have to contend with all the elements." 

 Again, he says, " I regret very much that I have so many difficulties 

 to overcome, in reference to my collections, from the scanty room on 

 shipboard, and the humidity of the weather. If not attended to daily, 

 everything is covered with mould, and even the paper in the chest be- 

 comes quite damp. Perhaps,'after much pains, I am so fortunate as to 

 get my plants dry, with the help of the sun and steam-engine ; but I 

 hafe still to look to them again, and often find cause enough for 

 repeating the process. Notwithstanding all this trouble, the specimens 

 are bad, they fall to pieces and mould continually ; and I must sit 

 down under the sorry consolation, that I have effected with all my 

 zeal as much as circumstances will allow." (No. 59, pp. 605 and 

 610). 



C. 



