Bibliogra'phical Notices. 113 



surpass, some of the latest of our Couuty Floras, was no light task ; 

 and probably Mr. Jackson has acted wisely in not materially inter- 

 fering with the MS. of the author, as he distinctly states he has 

 not in the preface. The inference from this will be that, so far as 

 the actual Flora itself is concerned, Mr. Jackson's work has to a 

 great extent been mechanical, hence he can hardly be held respon- 

 sible for any opinious it may express. 



One small matter is to be heartily approved of — that is, the fuU 

 references given under the generic and specific names ; anyone who 

 has worked at local botany will for this be most thankful. 



The work consists of a Map of the county showing the Botanical 

 divisions arranged under the river-basins. An Introduction, treating 

 of the Stratigraphical Geology, with two Maps, Hydro-geology, 

 Climate, Botanical districts. Botanical History, and list of Contribu- 

 tors. Following this comes the list of the Flowering Plants and 

 higher Cryptogams, occupying 496 pages ; an appendix of " Addi- 

 tional published stations"; " Cryptogamia," with 12 pages; a 

 " Tabular Statement of Plant-distribution in Hertfordshire and 

 neighbouring counties," of 31 pages ; a Summary of this ; " Addi- 

 tions and Corrections," and Index. 



Looking through the Flora itself, which it should be stated is 

 arranged according to Nyman's ' Conspectus Florae Europcese,' there 

 are a few things that call for notice. No time of flowering is given 

 for any plants in the body of the work, which, Mr. Jackson rightly 

 says, " to be of any use should be drawn from actual local observa- 

 tion." The Thalictrum from Royston is given as T. Jacquiiiium 

 (following Nyman). If this is the same as the Cambridgeshire 

 Gogmagogs plant, the writer of this doubts it ; he has vainly tried to 

 get that determined by continental experts, having grown it for 

 several years past. In the Violets, V. seinncola and permLvta of 

 Jordan are placed under odorata (following Babington) ; they may 

 technically be so placed, but naturally they are liirta forms, and so 

 show themselves imder cultivation. The locality for Silene nutans, 

 " Garden wall one or two plants for last 22 years," followed by 

 " Native," is not following in the footsteps of our great topographi- 

 cal authority, Mr. H. C. Watson. Webb and Coleman, in their ' Flora 

 Hertfordiensis,' very rightly place the mark of non-nativity to the 

 plant. It might be contended that it follows (in the flora) the 

 words " English-Germanic" and applies to them ; if so, it at once 

 loses its local signification, and that alone can be accej^ted in a 

 County Flora. In the same genus another species, ;S'. conica, is 

 recorded as native, the record running thus : — " Three plants in the 

 middle of a fifty-acre field near High Down," with a reference to 

 the ' Journal of Botany.' Whether we are to accept the ! given 

 after this locality as a record of a specimen received, or of actually 

 seeing the plant in situ, is not plain ; the note in the ' Journal of 

 Botany ' would seem to say the former. Anyhow the record is a 

 most unjustifiable one (as a native), and one can hardly tell how Mr. 

 Pryor could have accepted it as such. It is only perhaps to be ex- 

 plained on the supposition that here " field " may really mean 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 6. Vol. ii. 8 



