A NOOK IN THE ALLEGHANIES 165 



persuaded he would be of the same opinion, 

 though I was well enough aware of my 

 entire unfitness for meddling with such high 

 questions. 



He replied at once, knowing the symp- 

 toms of collector's fever, it is to be presumed, 

 and the value of a prompt treatment. The 

 violet was V. pubescens scabriuscula, he 

 said, at least, it was the plant so desig- 

 nated by the Manual; but he went on to 

 tell me, for my comfort, that some botanists 

 accepted it as of specific rank, and that my 

 own impression about it would very likely 

 prove to be correct. Since then I have been 

 glad to find this view of the question sup- 

 ported by Messrs. Britton and Brown in 

 their new Illustrated Flora, where the plant 

 is listed as V. scabriuscula. As to all of 

 which it may be subjoined that the less a 

 man knows, the prouder he feels at having 

 made a good guess. It would be too bad if 

 so common an evil as ignorance were not 

 attended by some slight compensations. 



These novelties in violets, so interesting 

 to the finder, if to nobody else (though since 

 the time here spoken of he has seen the 

 " rare " hastata growing broadcast, literally 



