320 



Authorship of the 'Flora Hertfordiensis? 

 By the Rev. W. H. Coleman, M.A. 



Will you oblige me by contradicting in your next No. the inference 

 conveyed in an editorial note in your last, that the principal share in 

 the * Flora Hertfordiensis ' is due to myself? This statement is alto- 

 gether unjust to Mr. Webb, with whom both the design originated of 

 publishing a County Flora, and who is now carrying it into effect, 

 without any co-operation on my part beyond an occasional criticism, 

 and (in Part 2) my assistance in correcting the press. It is true that 

 the geographical arrangement of the work was sketched by me, and 

 that T formed some of the district catalogues. But at least an equal 

 share in the general observations on which the work is founded be- 

 longs to Mr. W. ; and the present plan of the work, independent of 

 the geographical arrangement, is entirely his. I should be sorry that 

 the accidental circumstance of my name being better known to the 

 botanical world should create an impression that I have had the 

 larger share in the execution of the work : and for this, among other 

 reasons, I was desirous that my name should not have appeared ex- 

 cept as an ordinary correspondent. But as I could not persuade Mr. 

 Webb to agree to this, and he has run the risk of losing part of his 

 own due through his anxiety to do justice to me, you will excuse me 

 if I enter a strong objection against such remarks as that which has 

 called forth the present observations. 



W. H. Coleman. 

 Ashby-de-la-Zouch, August 21, 1848. 



p g, — i n m y paper on Botanical Geography two misprints occur, 

 which materially injure the sense. On page 217, line 31, "dissecting" 

 should be "bisecting;" and page 220, line 23, " the Flora of the list" 

 should be "the Flora of the first." 



[I beg most explicitly to state that I had no idea of robbing Mr. 

 Webb of any part of the credit due to him on account of the ' Flora 

 Hertfordiensis ;' from his own very explicit statement in the introduc- 

 tory notice I was perhaps led to believe that Mr. Coleman's share in 

 the work was greater than it is. I believe it is notorious that these 

 excellent botanists were fellow-labourers in the same field. — E. New- 

 man.] 



