340'^^' EXTINCT SPECIES. [November) 



and B. latifoUum, are found in divers places in our land. (Park ir^ 

 p. 578.) Neither of these ancient authors name Essex as on&t^'iq 

 its localities. ' -^in^ 



The description in Ray's ' Historia Rei Herb.' agrees suffijJiJ-' 

 ciently with the Essex plant ; and the figure in Gerard, which ha;s 

 not the root-leaves, is characteristic enough, about as. good a re^^^v 

 presentation as could be expected. f->'^i^ ^-9l^"i ' ifx/anoo .lobae-i 

 Absolute perfection is unattainable even by the best artists ^i'y 

 they sometimes fail in their attempts to represent the naturaloa 

 objects portrayed in their works; and it is not altogether incon^'ft 

 ceivable that Mr. E. Forster might have, unknown to himself,' 

 allowed his kind feelings to have been shaded, and his sound 

 judgment warped, by a very slight tinge of jealousy, when he 

 understood that a younger member of the brotherhood had made 

 a discovery which would entitle him to a share of the botanical 

 honours hitherto paid to the family of the Forsters, and to him- 

 self as its now sole remaining representative. His nice sense of 

 honour might have been blunted, and the wish that there had 

 been a previous discoverer, may have caused a search in Gerard 

 and other ancient authors. ' '- 'J^' -{liiirjoi f> Ijul ■>nu:a j; 



Again, the excellent author of the *'FI()t<4^6fE*feeii[^fiiiayjlii%v©^ 

 felt for the honour of his compatriot, etc. ; and thisy the very 

 slightest shade of partiality, may have been the thin film or mist 

 through which he -was unable to see the resemblance of Gerard's 

 figure to the plant of his county, discovered by his friend. If the 

 cut be like that of some other species, as he says it is, that othea?' 

 species should have been forthcoming. Alas, for poor frail- 

 human nature ! it is easy to give honest and disinterested counsel ; 

 but those who know the many crooked Avays in which humanity 

 often wanders, can sympathize with thos^ who turn aside from 

 the straight and narrow patfe ii'Okni u 'lo sioio&iudo odi sib imUr 

 r One of the most curious of the omissions of 'the autliors of the 

 « Essex Flora' is that of the Colchester locality for Muscari 

 mcewo^Mm; 'Or whatever the «age& learhed i« the laws of bota- 

 nical nomenclature may please to name it. ' ' ; ' ' 



The locality is " the ruins of the old town 'wa:!!^ aot- faic frotn 

 St. Mary's Church." They should not have beetk frigMenedat 

 this fact as an impossibility or absurdity, for though it grows 

 here on the ruins of the wall, it is not a mural plant like the 

 Wallflower. The 'Wall of Colchester, like most Roman walls, is 



