6 HEPATIC^. 



15. East Highlmid (Perth, Stirling, Forfar, Kincardine, Aber- 

 deen, Banff, Elgin, Easterness). 



16. West Hiykland (Argyle, Arran, Islay, Mull, Skye, West- 

 erness). 



17a. Ufper North Highland (Sutherland, Caithness). 



17b. Lower North Highland (Eoss-shire). 



18a. Hebridean (Isles). 



18b. Orkney (Isles). 



18c. Shetland {lA^^). 



I. (Ireland) C. (Channel Islands). 



How TO Examine the Hepatic^. 



To gain an accurate knowledge of the Hepaticse it is necessary 

 to have both a simple and a compound microscope, the simple 

 one with a good-sized table to deploy and dissect the specimen, 

 and the compound one to study the different organs plainly. 



Place your specimen in a white saucer, in water, and carefuUy 

 disentangle a single plant from the mass with which it is usually 

 associated, making sure that you have the whole plant before 

 you. Ascertain its inflorescence : with the paroicous species it 

 may be necessary to dissect with a sharp scalpel the bracts 

 immediately below the perianth, and (as the late Dr. Spruce 

 once mentioned to me) do not spare your best specimens to make 

 sure about this character, which is of great value in the deter- 

 mination of species. 



In taking sections of stems and perianths, dissections of 

 the leaves, stipules, and bracts, and examining spores and elaters, 

 the student will find it convenient to place them on a glass slip, 

 covering them with a cover glass, adding a few drops of water, 

 or glycerine and water, to examine them under the compound 

 microscope, using the 2 or 3 inch for studying the shape of 

 the leaves, stipules, and bracts, the \ ox \ inch for the cell 

 structure, spores, and elaters. 



