126 



to afford a nucleus arouud which future discoveries and observations may be collected." 



Rule "First, a local Flora, we take it, ought to relate to a definite area, and not 

 pretend to include a wider space than has been really and well investigated." — (Mag. 

 Zool. & Bot. i. 426). 



" Secondly, we should have a full list of species and the more remarkable varieties; 

 the nomenclature being adapted to that of the standard Floras which relate to Britain 

 generally; generic and specific characters, descriptions and references being altogether 

 omitted."— (Id.) 



" Thirdly, we should desire to see the degree of scarcity or abundance of each spe- 

 cies mentioned, in as close an accordance as possible with some fixed scale." — (Id. 427). 



" Fourthly, the time of flowering, and the soil and situation affected by each spe- 

 cies, should be given from actual observation." — (Id.) 



" Fifthly, the general distribution of each species, and the localities of the rarer 

 ones, are to be precisely shown." — (Id. 428). 



" Sixthly, we should recommend the history of the species to be attended to." — (Id). 



We will now illustrate these rules by examples from the ' Collectanea, ' beginning 

 with the first. 



After describing the boundary lines of " The Province of Moray, or more strictly, 

 the portion of Scotland kept in view while drawing up this List," the compiler pro- 

 ceeds, — " In extent and locality the district here selected very nearly corresponds to the 

 " Elgin, or Eighth Botanical District of Scotland " as laid down and illustrated in a 

 valuable paper lately read by Mr. Brand before the Edinburgh Botanical Society. In 

 a district so extensive as this, and so little explored (particularly in the southern and 

 western portions) there must be plants yet to be discovered, and many facts to be re- 

 corded regarding the distribution of those already met with. The most effectual me- 

 thod by which these objects could be accomplished, would be to institute separate and 

 careful examinations of the several sections — such as parishes and other well-defined 

 districts — into which the Province might be divided. And for this purpose this List, 

 if interleaved, it is hoped will prove highly useful." — Preface, iii. 



That the conditions of the second, third and fifth rules have been as far as possible 

 complied with, will be evident from the following observations and extracts. The ca- 

 talogue contains neither generic nor specific descriptions nor references, but gives the 

 scientific names and localities of all the species discovered within the district, up to 

 the time of publication. 



"There are 724 species in the Catalogue of Moray Plants, of which 65 are marked 

 (?) as doubtfully •native, and 70 {X) as certainly introduced. 



Dicotyl. Monocotyl. Acetyl. 



Genera ... 269 64 12 



Species ... 523 169 32 "-—p. 30. 



" Sir W. J. Hooker's ' British Flora,' 4th edition, is followed in the nomenclature 

 and arrangement of the Collectanea. The signs used [to denote the comparative rari- 

 ty and abundance of the species ivithin the district'] are those employed by the Edin- 

 burgh Botanical Society, [in the 1st edition of their Catalogue]. After these signs 

 the provincial names are added to some of the more common plants. Localities are 

 occasionally given for species which are very far from being rare ; but where '■ &c." is 

 not added, all the known stations are almost invariably inserted. The dates of disco- 

 very are stated in many instances ; and, when no other authority is quoted, the com- 

 piler himself has found or gathered the plant, in the specified localities." — Pref. v. 



