616 



Sir, — Being an inhabitant of Surrey, and possessing a slight smat- 

 tering of geographical botany, I have attentively perused the article 

 of Mr. J. D. Salmon, in which he proposes to divide this county into 

 nine districts. Nothing is easier than drawing a certain number of 

 imaginary lines across a piece of ground, nothing more difficult than 

 to point out those characteristic features which distinguish one district 

 from another. Now, as Mr. J. D. Salmon has made the readers of 

 the ' Phytologist' follow him through about eight pages, without giv- 

 ing them any information on the latter point, I vote that he is called 

 upon to show what are the characteristic botanical features of his dis- 

 tricts, and how the districts are to be distinguished from each other 

 phytologically. 



I have the honour to be, Sir, 



One who thinks that the Division of 



the County has been carried too far. 



■ To the Editor of the ' Phytologist.' 



The following note, by Mr. William Bennett, on the same subject, 

 was also read : — 



In reference to the communication, in the last number, * On the 

 Division of the County of Surrey into Botanical Districts, with a view 

 to the Preparation of a Flora of Surrey,' 1 cannot help thinking 

 that, however useful county floras may be, as affording the materials 

 and groundwork of a wider compendium, they can be of little other 

 than local interest, and often disappoint the searcher after information 

 by their extreme and arbitrary limitation. In our botanical rambles 

 how rarely do we confine our footsteps to the boundaries of a county, 

 especially if we wish to gain a start by the wonderful facilities of these 

 railroad times ; and of what scientific interest can it be whether a 

 plant grows on this or the other side of some brook or streamlet, or 

 of an imaginary line, which none but the parish authorities can trace 

 out correctly ? The irregular extent and arbitrary mapping of our 

 counties deprive them likewise of much geographical value in respect 

 to their natural productions. Every inland county is also shorn of its 

 fair share in the representation by having no sea-coast. It would 

 strike me that the counties of Surrey, Kent, and Sussex would form 

 together an extremely natural group or division. I have not Watson's 

 ' Cybele ' at hand, to see if this is not one of his " provinces," but 

 almost think it is identical. What a glorious Flora this district would 

 make ! — and how much more satisfactory to the student and lover of 

 Nature, and of how much more scientific interest and value, to see 

 spread before him a complete bill of fare of a natural division like 



