252 BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. [AuffUSt, 



Society of St. Andrew's ; but our Journal is not the right channel for its 

 circulation, and it will l)e returned in due course. 



The Editor of the ' Phytologist' assures " M. P. M.," of Brighton, 

 that he is very sensible of Mrs. M.'s kindness, and apologizes for the 

 trouble he has given his fair and obliging correspondent. The seeds will 

 be very acceptable, but he hopes that neither of the gentlemen will sacri- 

 llce either time or money solely on his account. 



Our friend Mr. Winter's list has been duly received and appreciated. 

 The rest of his notes and observations made on his maritime excursion 

 from Great Yarmouth to the Huinber, will be most acceptable. 



An announcement of the formation and progress of another Natural 

 History Association, viz. that of Warrington, has just been received. The 

 constitution of this society will be noticed in a future number. 



Would our kind correspondent who sent a note from St. Peter's Col- 

 lege, Westminster, be so good as to send a frond of his Fern gathered near 

 Heulcy, Oxon., to A. I., 28, Upper Manor Street, Chelsea? 



Asj)le7iiu7n lanceolatum, from any of the Midland counties, would be a 

 rarity, and what might well be called a "lucky find." 



If our reverend correspondent who has observed the fatal efl'ects of a 

 grub on the Ash-trees of Craven will send us a specimen of the insect, 

 the author of the mischief, we will hunt up its name, and print it in our 

 jjiiges, with a warning to the owners of the valuable timber put in jeopardy, 

 to be on their guard, and try to find a remedy against the insidious at- 

 tacks of this enemy to one of our most ornamental and useful trees. 



" J. W. C," of Hermitage Pioad, Eichmond, is respectfully informed 

 that his specimen of Linaria, from a wall at Petersham, appears very like 

 L. purpurea, which grows plentifully on old walls at Eltliam, Kent, and 

 more sparingly at Hampstead, Middlesex. We have heard of L. Pelis- 

 seriofia as a Surrey plant, viz. at VYindleshara, in a cornfield, and it is an 

 annual, and has broader leaves i\mn L. pur jjia-ea. 



Note. Mr. C.'slist of rare plants will appear soon. 



Death op the Wyre Fokest old Sorb-tree. 



Our excellent correspondent, Mr. George Jordan, has recently (June 

 20th, 1862) informed us that our only native example of the famous 

 Sorb, or Whitty Pcai", or Choke Pear (Sordus communis or Pyrus com- 

 munis) is now extinct. 



" I am sorry to inform you," Mr. Jordan writes, " that some evil-dis- 

 posed person has burnt down the poor old Sorb, the pride of Wyre 

 Forest, a tree which has been an object of attraction for more than two 

 centuries. It has been much visited for many years, and was of great 

 age, and might have existed for ages to come, although cruelly and ruth- 

 lessly mutilated, even by reckless visitors, who were desirous of possessing 

 a relic of this rare vegetable curiosity. But for these ravages of scien- 

 tific spoilers, it might have long been a flourishing tree. Its much shat- 

 tered, though honoured remains, have perished by fire, for which better 

 things are reserved (see 2 Peter iii. 10). 



" 1 have also to report," continues Mr. Jordan, " that Wyre Forest 

 IS now visited by another calamity, a host of tiny caterpdlars, and its 



