1861.] BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES, 127 



note in time for its being printed in the Marcli number. He has much 

 pleasure in g"iving publicity to the proposal ; and judging from the names 

 entered in the list of the General and Sectional Committees, it may safely 

 be predicted that this eft'ort to utilize and popularize all the branches of 

 Natural History will be decidedly successful. The proposal has our good 

 wishes, and if we were near Livei-pool, the promoters of the good work 

 should have our active and zealous co-operation. The following is the 

 programme, for which we are obliged to Mr. Fisher : — 



" The Committee having decided upon holding a Grand Anniversary 

 Festival of the Liverpool Naturalists' Field Club, in St. George's Hall, 

 during the month of April, earnestly solicit the immediate and active co- 

 operation of every member of the Club, and of all who take an interest in 

 the pursuits of Natural Histoiy. By early, combined, and sustained effort, 

 it is believed that such a variety of rare and choice specimens in every de- 

 partment of Natural Histoiy may be collected as cannot fail to be gene- 

 rally delightful and instructive. 



" Members who possess or can procui'e specimens or ciu'iosities, cases 

 of birds, insects, shells, minerals, fossils, etc., books, plates, or diagrams 

 illustrative of Natural History, which they are willing to lend for exhibition, 

 are requested to communicate at once to the Secretary of that department 

 to which the objects may belong, stating what amount of space will be 

 required for their effective display. 



" Vegetable or animal products used in manufactures or the arts will be 

 acceptable. 



" Ingenious membea's will oblige by sending in sketches of suitable de- 

 signs for oniamentatiou, in keeping with the character of the Hall and 

 the ol^jects of the Exhibition. 



"A connnittee of ladies will kindly assist in the aesthetical department, 

 and superintend the decorations and commissariat." 



Eetrospectivb. 



Arenar'ia halearica. — This interesting little plant, the Earl of Ilchester 

 has informed me, grows now on several walls and garden buildings on his 

 Lordship's estate, Abbotsbury, Dorset. Its origin or how it first came there 

 is unknown, but there it is in tolerable plenty, and it has been observed in 

 the chinks and crevices of damp walls for a considerable period, — several 

 years ; I understood at least twenty years. W. P. 



Viola tricolor, var. arenicola. 



(Phytol. iv. 301.) The author naively subjoins, after a long description 

 of the above variety, the following : — " I cannot here find any characters 

 by which to separate this plant from V. tricolor, of which Mr. Babington 

 very justly considers it a variety." It might be asked, Avhy, then, did he 

 trouble himself by describing it, and why did he cumber half a page of 

 the ' Phytologist ' with a long description of a well-known plant ? Is not 

 this a specimen of scientific twaddle ? Q. 



Antirrhinum ORONTiUM.— This agrarial plant has also been sent 

 from Perth, and it is recorded in the list of additional species detected by 



