334 



will then be in a better condition to diminish the apparent infrequency 

 of certain plants here given as scarce, by the communication of habi- 

 tats from the less examined districts, or to supply novelties on the 

 sure ground that they are such, because specially omitted by name, 

 whenever attention has not been called, as I shall do in some in- 

 stances, to the probability of their occurrence. For the Isle of 

 Wight I am desirous rather of having new species than receiving ad- 

 ditional stations for those already known to inhabit it, except, indeed, 

 for plants of great or considerable rarity, fresh stations for which will 

 be at all times acceptable. Desiderata for the county comprehends, 

 of course, the island part of it, but as the mainland produces many 

 species and genera not yet found in the latter, great care has been 

 taken throughout to note this deficiency under the proper heads, so 

 that a contributor need not fear to send a specimen or notice of a 

 plant, however common, as an addition to the island or county flora, 

 if he will be only at the trouble to refer to its place in the natural se- 

 quence adopted in this catalogue, and observe whether it be entered 

 or omitted. In the former case, he may rest assured that unless 

 mention is made to the contrary, the species is common to both di- 

 visions of the county ; in the latter, he may feel secure that his con- 

 tribution will be received with all the pleasure of a new accession to 

 the Hampshire Flora. For convenience sake, the nomenclature 

 employed is that adopted by Mr. Babington in the second edition of 

 the Manual, as the text-book most deservedly in use with all who 

 wish to keep up with the progressive state of botany in this and other 

 countries of Europe. In a more elaborate and critical performance 

 than a catalogue like the present, some deviations from the nomen- 

 clature of the above excellent work would have suggested themselves. 

 In accordance with the change of plan which has just been ad- 

 verted to, and before proceeding with the remaining orders of the 

 Hampshire Flora, I have judged it expedient to insert in this place a 

 second supplementary list of species not at first intended for publica- 

 tion in the three foregoing parts of these notes, together with some 

 omissions which it has since appeared desirable to supply regarding 

 plants already mentioned therein. The ensuing portions of this cata- 

 logue will present a view of the entire vegetation of the county as far 

 as known to me, in an unbroken series of genera and species, forming 

 a Prodromus, the aim of which is to invite the attention of botanists 

 to this hitherto much neglected part of England* by showing them 



* See ' Phytologist,' ii. 998. The gratifying response to the appeal contained in 



