1855-] SUGGESTIONS AND QUERIES. 423 



the indigenous ; but when I came to the other families I 

 found the proportion entirely different, showing that the co- 

 incidences in the British Flora were probably accidental ! 



You will, I presume, give the proportion of the species to 

 the genera, /. e., show on an average how many species each 

 genus contains ; though I have done this for myself. 



If it would not be too troublesome, do you not think it 

 would be very interesting, and give a very good idea of your 

 Flora, to divide the species into three groups, viz., {a) species 

 common to the old world, stating numbers common to Europe 

 and Asia ; {b) indigenous species, but belonging to genera 

 found in the old world ; and {c) species belonging to genera 

 confined to America or the New World. To make (according 

 to my ideas) perfection perfect, one ought to be told whether 

 there are other cases, like Erica, of genera common in Europe 

 or in Old World not found in your area. But honestly I feel 

 that it is quite ridiculous my writing to you at such length on 

 the subject ; but, as you have asked me, I do it gratefully, 

 and write to you as I should to Hooker, who often laughs 

 at me unmercifully, and I am sure you have better reason 

 to do so. 



There is one point on which I am most anxious for infor- 

 mation, and I mention it with the greatest hesitation, and 

 only in the full belief that you will believe me that I have 

 not the folly and presumption to hope for a second that you 

 will give it, without you can with very little trouble. The 

 point can at present interest no one but myself, which makes 

 the case wholly different from geographical distribution. The 

 only way in which, I think, you possibly could do it with little 

 trouble would be to bear in mind, whilst correcting your proof- 

 sheets of the Manual, my question and put a cross or mark 

 to the species, and whenever sending a parcel to Hooker to 

 let me have such old sheets. But this would give you the 

 trouble of remembering my question, and I can hardly hope 

 or expect that you will do it. But I will just mention what I 

 want ; it is to have marked the '' close species" in a Flora, so 

 as to compare in different Floras whether the same genera 



