683 



wick, near Settle, kindly presented by Mr. Babington, and another 

 from Gordale, near Settle, labelled " Epipactis latifolia, var. ^." It 

 may here be remarked that the plants must be studied in a recent state. 

 Mr. Babington observes, " The points that require attention in these 

 plants are the shape of the terminal lobe of the lip, with the character 

 of its upper surface, — shape of the petals and sepals, and the charac- 

 ter and form of the sheaths on the stem ; " these points cannot be 

 properly investigated in dried specimens. — Geo. Luxford; 65, Ratcliff 

 Highway, July 22, 1843. 



347. Note on the Gravesend locality of PcBonia corallina. We arc 

 so accustomed to consider that Master Gerarde was actuated by en- 

 tire good faith in making known his discoveries, that it is perhaps hardly 

 fair to publish anything in disparagement of his fair fame ; wherefore 

 in mentioning the following naughty trick, with the doing of which he 

 is charged by his emaculator, Johnson, it is more for the purpose of 

 soliciting information as to the present state of the Gravesend locality 

 of his " Male Peionie," than for any other purpose : at all events the 

 passages are amusing. Gerarde says — " The Male Peionie groweth 

 wild vpon a conny beiTy in Betsome, being in the parish of Southfleet 

 in Kent, two miles from Grauesend, and in the ground sometimes be- 

 longing to a farmer there called lohn Bradley^ To this Johnson 

 adds, — " X I haue beene told that our author himselfe planted that 

 Peionie there, and afterwards seemed to finde it there by accident ; 

 and I doe beleeue it was so, because none before or since haue euer 

 scene or hard of it growing wilde in any part of this kingdome. | " — 

 Ger. Em. 1983. The Steep Holmes station was not known then. — Id. 



348. Mr. MurcotVs Plan for drying Plants. The following is the 

 mode of drying plants by means of a deliquescent salt, before alluded 

 to, (Phytol. 674). 



" The plants to be dried are placed between sheets of paper containing chloride of 

 calcium, contact with the salt being prevented by an intervening cushion on one side, 

 and a layer of fine calico on the other. Two thin boards support the apparatus, and 

 are held together by a couple of buckled tapes ; the whole is enveloped in oil cloth to 

 exclude atmospheric moisture. The packet need not be opened till the plants are dry 

 enough to be removed, or fresh plants require to be introduced. The time and trou- 

 ble of frequently removing drying plants into fresh papers, as in the ordinary method, 

 are both saved ; for though the packet be full of plants, it need not be opened even for 

 several months. Plants in general dry much faster than in blotting paper, and their 

 colours are much more frequently preserved : the use of the pad prevents injury to the 

 soft parts of plants, and hinders their corollas from shrivelling up in drying, without 

 applying so much pressure as would unfit any part for subsequent examination. 



" Brown paper, so thick as to prevent the transmission of light, with a smooth 

 surface, and not much sized, is better fitted to hold the salt than blotting-paper, which 



