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Fiance, Switzerland, and the North of Italy, the three forms or species of the lime- 

 tree affecting elevated or even mountainous situations, rarely descending into the plains 

 unless favoured by concomitant humidity and consequent diminution of temperature. 

 In these parts the small-leaved lime is almost supplanted by those of more ample fo- 

 liage. From the consideration of their geographical distribution from north to south, 

 there seems no reason why all these three species or varieties of the lime should not occur 

 wild in Britain, but local causes may combine to give predominance to one oi other of 

 them in particular. Thus the general low average of our summer temperature, re- 

 sulting from the combined moisture and cloudiness of the atmosphere, even in the 

 South of England, may and indeed does dispose to the production of northern species 

 or varieties under parallels of latitude which, in countries where the sun's influence is 

 less impaired by absorption of his rays in passing through a misty medium, or the ac- 

 tual interception both of heat and light by dense masses of vapour, would rather favour 

 the development of southern forms of vegetation. We are geographically nearer the 

 wine region of Europe than to any part of the Scandinavian peninsula along our sou- 

 thern coast, yet does the character of our vegetation partake more of a northern type 

 than would be inferred from the consideration of latitude alone. I believe also our 

 entomological productions approximate more to those of Sweden and Denmark than 

 to the same tribes in France or Germany. In accordance with these facts we might 

 expect that of all the three species of Tilia native to Britain, the small-leaved lime 

 (T. parvifolia) would predominate with us, as being the more frequent one towards the 

 north, and such appears to be the case. I can vouch to having seen T. parvifolia truly 

 wild and abundant between Halstead and Sudbury, in various places along the road 

 in hedge-rows and copses, and I found a wood between Bury and the village of Whep- 

 stead, about six miles distant, quite full of this species, but kept down by periodical 

 lopping to the dimensions of a shrub. Mr. Abraham of Exeter told me that there 

 were woods of T. parvifolia about Buckleigh in Devonshire, which Mr. H. C. Watson 

 seems to think adverse to the idea of its being indigenous there, a conclusion the very 

 reverse of that I should arrive at, since this species is by far the least ornamental of 

 all our limes, and of little or no value as timber, nor have I ever heard of its being 

 planted to any extent for copsewood. The very large wood of T. parvifolia near 

 Shrawley in Worcestershire, mentioned by Mr. Lees, is another instance in point, were 

 farther proof wanting to substantiate the claim of this species at least to rank as na- 

 tive with us, which was the opinion moreover of the cautious and scrutinizing Ray, as 

 also of Evelyn. I would suggest whether Lyndhurst in the New Forest, may not be 

 derived from a wood (hurst) of limes (linden) now no longer existing, as I find both 

 T. parvifolia and europsea in old hedgerows about Lymington occasionally, which is 

 not very distant from the former place, but I dare not venture to pronounce either cer- 

 tainly indigenous there. Evelyn seems to hint at the existence of Tilia europtea as a 

 native tree, when he speaks of our wild limes as having " a somewhat smaller leaf" 

 than the cultivated, and as apt to be civilized ! that is, improved or made larger by 

 transplanting, Gerarde, too, if I remember right (for he is not now at my elbow to 

 ask the question of), refers to this or T. grandifolia as growing in the woods of North- 

 amptonshire, under the then common denomination of Tilia fcemina, and Stokenchurch 

 woods in Oxfordshire were till lately said to have produced both the broad-leaved spe- 

 cies. Again, Mr. Ward, of Richmond, in Watson's 'New Botanist's Guide,' finds T. 

 grandifolia truly wild on Clink Bank, near that town ; and my excellent friend Mr. 

 Borrer has observed a lime growing abundantly in a hill-side copse in Sussex, the sta- 



