1862.] EXTINCT SPECIES. 335 



among the rarities observed by the river's brink. Of conrse 

 R. Hydrolapathum abounded everywhere, both in the river and in 

 the ditches. 



Ranunculus hirsutus was seen on the banks and bare places of 

 the meadows, equally plentiful as Trifolium frayiferum. 

 {To be continued.) 



EXTINCT SPECIES. 

 Remarks on the ' Flora of Essex.' 



In preface, E. Fl., p. xvii., it is recorded that "■ The plants sup- 

 posed to have become extinct are not numerous,'^ less than a 

 dozen species altogether, (See list, p. 423.) The table of which 

 p. 423 forms a part, begins on p. 417 and ends on p. 427, and 

 consists of thi-ee columns, headed respectively — common ; kather 

 LOCAL ; VERY LOCAL. Thc first column contains the generally dis- 

 tributed plants, the second those more local, and the third those 

 very local ; the extinct plants appear in italics, without any mark 

 prefixed. They are the following : — Crambe marithna, Diotis ma- 

 ritinia, Vaccinium Oxijcoccus, V. Vitis-Idcea, Statice occidentalis, 

 Sonchus palustris, Oplirys aranifera, Herrninium Monorchis, Bo- 

 trychium Lunaria. All these are in the very local class. 



It would not be worth the ink with which it is written to dis- 

 cuss the question about the nativity or non-nativity of the two 

 species, Brassica oleracea and Crambe maritima, both of which 

 are said to be "now lost in Essex.'' 



It may be assumed that the Sea Cabbage is the same speci- 

 fically as the domestic or cultivated esculent, which most botanists 

 take for a fact well or ill founded, for it would not be easy to 

 prove the fact ; for centuries would probably elapse ere the wild, 

 open, bitter Cabbage of our coasts changed into the close, sweet, 

 esculent vegetable of our gardens. 



There are many distinct varieties or races of the Cabbage, 

 Brassica oleracea. There are open Cabbages and close Cabbages. 

 Again, some of the open sorts have crisp, curled leaves, while 

 the leaves of other kinds are flat at the margin. Some of the 

 close or geninne Cabbages are white, others grey, and others of 

 a beautiful dark purple. The instructive part of this history 



