642 



III. Smith's Violet. 



1. (Luxuriant) = "V.montana,w/r.stricta"(Cyb. Brit. 170) 



2. (Ordinary) = V. lactea of Mr. Borrer's garden. 



3. (Small) = V. lactea of Eng. Bot. 445. 



I have a very fine violet from Mr. Borrer, under name of " mon- 

 tana," which closely resembles V. elatior or V. persicifolia, and ap- 

 pears to be distinct from the three above mentioned ; but I do not 

 know whether it was of English origin, or not so. 



Hewett C. Watson, 

 Thames Ditton, August 15, 1849. 



P. S. (August 18th).— Mr. Hartman, an excellent Swedish botanist 

 at present in London, son of Dr. Hartman, the author of the ' Scan- 

 dinaviens Flora,' has this day intimated to me his opinion that the 

 small specimens of" Viola canina" in the Linnean herbarium belong 

 to V. arenaria, rather than to V. sylvatica. But whether this be the 

 case or not, there can be no doubt that the plant now designated 

 " V. sylvatica" formed part of the aggregate or group of species, to 

 which Linnaeus applied the name of "canina." Hi C. W. 



Botanical Appointments in the Queen's Colleges, Ireland. 



Some three years ago various candidates were spoken of as offering 

 themselves for the Chairs of Botany (since united with Natural His- 

 tory) in the three new Queen's Colleges, Ireland. It is now reported 

 that the appointments have been at length made, and that Dr. Dickie, 

 Mr. Hincks, and Dr. Melville are to be the Professors. The selec- 

 tion of Dr. Dickie is highly creditable to the Board ; the papers 

 which he has already published on botanical subjects, being such as 

 to place him in an elevated and honorable position among scientific 

 naturalists ; and giving promise, we trust, of much valuable exertion 

 yet to be made by him for the promotion of science. Though Mr. 

 Hincks and Dr. Melville are less known as contributors to the ad- 

 vancement of science, we have no reason to question the suitableness 

 of the appointments in their cases. One of the candidates, Mr. G. 

 H. K. Thwaites, had retired from the field of competition, by accept- 

 ing an appointment to the garden at Ceylon, as successor of Mr. 



