1 82 GENERAL REVIEW. 



a considerable quantity of intermediate forms, varieties, cr 

 hybrids. In 1840, along with MM. Dunal, Delile, and Bou- 

 chet, I asserted that at this station might be seen all the pass- 

 ages from poeticus to Tazetta, passing through biflorus, without 

 any appreciable line of demarcation. This assertion was at 

 the time strongly criticised ; but verification being made on the 

 spot with M. Delile, it was established that the fact was beyond 

 doubt." N. gracilis is by some considered as a hybrid between 

 a yellow N. Tazetta and N. poeticus ; but its semi-cylindrical 

 dark-green leaves point to N. odorus or N. Jonquilla, or even 

 N. juncifolius, as one of the parents crossed with either N. 

 biflorus or N. poeticus. N. intermedius has flowers of a yellow 

 N. Tazetta, with leaves and scape like the Jonquil, and may 

 possibly be a hybrid between the two groups. I find no evi- 

 dence of N. Bulbocodium having been successfully hybridised 

 with any other species; and its not having been used as a 

 parent may be owing to its late-blooming habit. 



In the August number of the 'Botanical Register' for 1843, 

 No. 38, several curious hybrids are figured, which were raised 

 by the late Honourable and Very Reverend Dean Herbert, 

 " from seed, at Spofforth, and are amongst those which have 

 already flowered." It is there stated by Mr Herbert that many 

 Narcissi which have been distinguished as species, and even 

 made into fresh genera, are never known to bear seed, and 

 they are hence regarded as mules. Mr Herbert has entirely 

 verified this supposition in some of his hybrids, producing what 

 have been regarded as separate species or genera from two 

 other decided species. Fig. 5 (see ' Bot. Reg.,' cited above), he 

 says, is the produce of the wild Yorkshire Daffodil (N. Pseudo- 

 Narcissus] fertilised by pollen of N. poeticus, and is decidedly a 

 variety of the plant called N. incomparabilis. Fig. 3 is the pro- 

 duce of N. incomparabilis by the same N. poeticus that is, two 

 generations from the Daffodil by the poetic Narcissus and in 

 it the change is complete from the form- of the stamina in the 

 Daffodil to that in the true Narcissus ; and it is evident that 

 one cross more (or at least two further crosses) would out of the 

 wild Daffodil produce the true Pheasant' s-eye Narcissus. Other 

 very curious instances are brought forward, and Mr Herbert 

 says: "It is desirable to call the attention of the humblest 

 cultivators of every labourer, indeed, or operative who has a 

 spot of garden or a ledge in his window to the infinite variety 

 of Narcissi that may be thus raised, and most easily in pots, at 

 his window, if not too much exposed to sun and wind, offering 

 him a source of harmless and interesting amusement, and per- 

 haps a little profit and celebrity." 



