I860.] REVIEWS. 251 



take to copy it and send it to any address^ free of charge^ if he or 

 she will only drop us a line expressive of such wish. 



In the same sheet there is a discussion about the distinctness 

 of Circaa intermedia ; and the author claims this as one of the 

 discoveries of his earlier observations. He maintains that it is 

 no hybrid between C. alpina and C lutetiana. We recommend 

 the species to M. Boreau or to Mr. Baker, believing that Mr. 

 Bentham would reject it at first sight. Some botanists are so 

 obtuse as to be unable to distinguish between C. lutetiana and 

 C. alpina. They have a striking resemblance, not in the her- 

 barium only, but also when alive, though growing hundreds of 

 miles asunder. 



He (our author) also asserts that the chief characteristic dis- 

 tinction — Hauptunterscheidungsmerkmal {excuse, courteousreader, 

 the insertion of this lengthy vocable ; it is for thy delectation, and 

 not to gratify the whim of the writer, that it has a place here) 

 — between Scrophularia Ehrharti and S. Neesii is not constant. 

 So one of these species must be discarded, unless some other 

 more constant character than the shape and relative dimensions 

 of the staminodium be discovered. For the sake of science is 

 this desirable? The discovery of a new distinctive character 

 would enable us to retain the plant as a species, and save us the 

 trouble of writing an alias to one of them. 



There is an historical account of a successful hunt for Juncus 

 lamprocarpus, var. nigritellus, Don ; and the possession and exa- 

 mination of Professor Don's /. nigritellus convinces Professor 

 Schultz that J. nigritellus, Don, is not /. nigritellus, Koch. The 

 latter, according to the Doctor, is a relative of J. supinus, and 

 has no similarity {keine Aehnlichkeit) to /. lamprocarpus, with 

 which Professor Don ultimately admitted that his plant agreed. 

 Dr. Schultz next points out the difference between a plant 

 discovered by him, and named J. Kochii, and /. nigritellus of 

 Koch. Into this it is not necessary to dip. We cannot suffi- 

 ciently estimate the value of these attempts to elucidate the his- 

 tory and relationships of these obscure plants, because we have 

 not an adequate apprehension of the importance of the objects 

 on which this great labour is bestowed. The perseverance of our 

 Continental brethren is worthy of admiration, and we wish suc- 

 cess to their disinterested and praiseworthy investigations. 



