1859.] BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. 93 



The great Linnaeus — who was in his own day, and from that 

 day to this, except by a very few recentiorum, dignified with the 

 high title of hotanicorum omnium facile Princeps — does not ap- 

 pear to have indulged very sanguine hopes of the discovery of 

 a natural system. He says (see Dr. Maton's 'Life and Works 

 of Linnaeus,^ p. 559) : — " The natural orders of plants are given 

 as an appendage to the Genera Plantarum, which an ignorant 

 person would imagine to be of no use or value, but Linnceus 

 looked upon his performance as a masterpiece. Many people 

 have endeavoured to refine upon it, but have all been unsuc- 

 cessful. He who discovers the key to them will have disco- 

 vered the natural method; but this discovery may not precede 

 that of squaring the circle." Has Professor Agardh discovered 

 " the key" ? Let our readers answer the question when they 

 have read the work for themselves. 



" Die quibus in plantis, et eris milu magnus Apollo, 

 Tres Zateat classes." 



The following suspected errata are respectfully submitted to 

 the author, viz. Cryptogamus, p. liii. line 9, for Cryptogamos. 

 PhoUodiis, p. liv. line 8 from bottom, for PhyUodiis ? (Enotera, 

 p. Ixii., for (Enothera. Aus for aut, p. Ixxviii. 



BOTxVNICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. 



MOUNTAIN-ASH BeKKIES. 



Since the letter of mine on the above subject appeared in the October 

 number of the ' Phytologist,' I have had some light thrown on it. A 

 lady in this neighbourhood has lately been collecting and making use of 

 them for jam, taking the precaution, however, to extract the stones, which, 

 she says, wre poisonous. I may also mention that the fruit of " Ribes 

 sanyiiinea' has been tui'ned to good account. I, a short time ago, tasted 

 a jelly which had been concocted from it, which, I can assure you, was 

 far from being repulsive to the palate. E. G. 



Grasmere, December 11, 1858. 



Cockle Bkead. — The Nut Cracked. 

 The following is from Brand's 'Popular Antiquities:' — "There was 

 formerly some kind of bread called Cockle Bread, and ' cockille mele' is 

 mentioned in a very early manuscript quoted in Halliwell's ' Dictionary 

 of Archaisms,' p. 260. In Peele's play of the ' Old Wives' Tale,' a voice 

 thus speaks from the bottom of the well : — 



