6^18 



with inverted commas applies to the species as well, and is taken from 

 Mr. Babington's Manual; while the half sentence, "pubescence of 

 stem adpressed^'' marks the distinction of the variety. Of the abun- 

 dance of this form I am well assured. The only wonder is that it has 

 not been observed before. It is to be met with by the bank of the 

 River Derwent, in marshy ground by the lake of the same name, 

 a little way up Skiddaw and Helvellyn, and in many other places, 

 generally, though not always, preferring drier situations than the nor- 

 mal form. Yesterday I found both within a yard of each other, and 

 could observe no marked difference in the general appearance, save 

 that the foliage of the variety had a lighter hue. Presuming, then, 

 that a plant, occumng plentifully in many situations, differing in one 

 essential character from the species with which in all other respects 

 it agrees, is entitled to be looked upon as a good variety, T propose to 

 call it Myosotis palustris, &. appressa. 



The President said he had taken the liberty to send the specimens 

 accompanying the letter to Mr. Watson, who had examined them, and 

 obligingly returned them, with the following note : — 



The Myosotis sent to you by Mr. Davies, from the neighbourhood 

 of Derwent Water, has been known to me several years, and occurs in 

 various counties of England and Scotland, as well as on the Conti- 

 nent. I possess no authentic specimen of the M. strigulosa of Reich- 

 enbach, quoted by Koch under M. palustris, and distinguished only 

 by the three words " pilis caulis adpressis." Possibly Reichenbach 

 may have intended the same variety as that sent by Mr. Davies. But 

 the specimen from Mr. Davies himself has not the pubescence of the 

 lower portion of the stem strictly " adpressed," although it is less 

 spreading than in M. repens, or than is perhaps usually seen in M. 

 palustris, when this latter is not destitute of pubescence below. From 

 the typical M. palustris, as seen bj' pits and streams in the south of 

 England, this variety differs slightly in three or four particulars, and 

 so far shades off towards M. caespitosa ; but it has the elongated style 

 of the former, with which also it more closely corresponds in other 

 respects. 



Botrychium Lunaria. 



The President exhibited a specimen of Botrychium Lunaria, found 

 by Mr. Broughton, between Barmouth and Hendre-yr-Coed, and 

 kindly communicated to him. 



