122 OCCASIONAL PAPERS. 



troubles begin. What is a Dog Violet ? Under this 

 species Dr. Hooker includes the Wood Violet (F. 

 sylvatica} as a sub-species ; the form is common 

 enough here. But Babington makes sylvatica a 

 distinct species, and Miss Pratt does not mention it 

 by name, though she evidently refers to it in some 

 of her remarks about canina. The difference given is 

 that in canina there are primary and lateral stems, 

 all giving off flowers and lengthening ; while in 

 sylvatica the lateral stems only do this. It appears 

 to me that the distinction is an uncertain one, and 

 very difficult in many cases to detect. I wrote to a 

 friend in the British Museum to ask if he could give 

 me any definite marks for a guide, knowing that he 

 and I had been sorely exercised in the matter in our 

 rambles over the Buckinghamshire hills. I look 

 upon him as an authority, but he only tells me he 

 cannot define canina, though he knows it when he 

 sees it ; so I have not gained much. I found a short 

 time ago a good specimen of well, I cannot say the 

 species, but it is not odorata, and it is not hirta ; it 

 has two lateral stems lengthening and flowering, the 

 primary stem lengthens of course, but gives off no 

 flowers. I suppose it is sylvatica. 



This form (the Wood Violet) is by far the hand- 

 somest of all our violets, growing frequently from 

 six to eight inches high ; the flower is very large, 

 and its colour often remarkably rich. It thrives best 

 in woods and on slopes, and is very common round 

 Folkestone. For the benefit of those inclined to 

 range themselves under the banner of the splitters, I 

 may say that Babington not only makes sylvatica a 

 true species, but gives two varieties of it which he 



