XX 



remark that Hooker & Arnott (B. F. 570) declare it to be 

 the type of their Aspidium spinulosum ; and finally, that Mr. 

 Babington (Man. 410) places it as a variety of cristata. 

 Altogether, the science of pteridology is in as pretty a jumble 

 on this point as need be desired. 

 Species of Hieracium. — On this genus are some abridged remarks 

 (iv. 139) from a paper by Mr. Backhouse, in the 'Botanical 

 Gazette,' and again in a report of the Botanical Society of 

 Edinburgh (iv. 151). 

 Prunus Aria. — Mr. Babington, in the 'Botanical Gazette' for 

 March (abstract, Phytol. iv. 110) suggests the division of P. 

 Aria into P. Aria and P. scandica ; and in his subsequently- 

 published Manual (111) he gives them as distinct species, 

 observing that " the continental distribution shows that nei- 

 ther P. scandica nor P. finnica can be hybrids." Of these 

 three species Hooker & Arnott give but one, P. Aria, making 

 three varieties: — a. leaves slighth' cut and lobed, usually 

 white underneath. — ^. leaves cut and lobed, usually less white 

 beneath = P. intermedia, Ehrh. — y. leaves pinnatifid, and 

 often pinnate at the base = P. pinnatifida, Ehrh. ; adding, 

 " to us /3. appears to be a fertile hybrid between the type of 

 this species and P. torminalis, and y. another between this 

 and P. aucuparia." I confess to a strong disinclination to 

 adopt hypotheses so utterly unsupported by observed facts. 

 Cerastium pumilum. — Mr. Babington has a few comments (iv. 34) 

 in the ' Botanical Gazette ' for January on this doubtful spe- 

 cies, observing that Hooker & Arnott have placed it as a 

 variety of triviale. 

 Species of Carex. — In the report of a meeting of the Botanical So- 

 ciety of Edinburgh, Mr. M'Laren has a paper on the British 

 species of Carex, grouping them somewhat differently from 

 Reichenbach, the subgenera not being made to depend on 

 the number of stigmas (iv. 44). 

 Fumaria parvijlora. — Mr. G. S. Gibson records (iv. 65) the finding 

 of this species, in company with F. Vaillantii, at Settlebury, 



