246 BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. 
lows.” ‘In the second half of the month of August” (this year, we pre- 
sume), ‘in the neighbourhood of Halle, leaves, stipules, and catkins, 
fertile catkins, were observed on Salix fragilis, on shoots at least two 
yards high. The leaves had the common form which they assume at this 
period, and all were provided with stipules. The catkins presented no- 
thing very remarkable in their appearance, except that the scales were 
rather laxer and paler below than when they appear at the usual time.” 
Has any of our readers ever observed this phenomenon ?—The same gen- 
tleman (nobleman we should say) observed and communicated an account 
of an abnormal form of the fruit of the common Maple, Acer Pseudopla- 
tunus. Some of the fruit observed had four corners and four wings, and 
these four wings were not in the same plane, but two of them at night 
angles to the usual pair. The same cluster yielded normal as well as 
abnormal forms; the abnormal-formed fruits were usually abortive. 
Note on the forthcoming List of Common Plants, or generally distributed 
Species (see ‘ Phytologist,’ p. 202).—We are indebted to several well-wish- 
ing correspondents for hints and suggestions calculated to make this list 
available for the promotion of the knowledge of the statistics and distri- 
bution of the British species. The substance of what we have received is as 
follows :—lst, We are advised to confine our attention to the list of -uni- 
versally distributed species in the first instance, postponing the lists of 
eastern and western species till this is completed. This advice will be 
strictly followed. 2nd, We have been advised to enter in this list all the 
species of the British type of distribution, and all whose provincial area 
is eighteen, or in some cases seventeen. As* the comital range is very 
often more restricted in proportion than the provincial area, it will be 
impossible on our plan strictly to adhere to this. Several species have a 
very wide range, and are nevertheless found in comparatively few localities 
and seldom in great abundance anywhere: these will xo¢ be included in 
the list of assumed generally distributed species. 3rd, We are advised 
to include in our list of common things, many species common in Eng- 
land, but very scarce or absent in Scotland. We are disposed to adopt 
this suggestion, because it will give the means of ascertaining how far 
north some. species extend, the northern limits of which are not very pre- 
cisely known. Further hints will be thankfully received, especially such 
as are likely to make this list as useful as we wish it to be. 
The following extract from a Letter, dated July the 17th, 1855, will, we 
are sure, be interesting to some of our readers. The writer, who is super- 
intendent of the Botanic Garden, Adelaide, South Australia, is an old 
friend of ours, and the author of the very first Handbook of British Ferns 
—‘ Francis’s Ferns’:— 
“T have a large garden of my own, and grow, in the open air, as stan- 
dards, thirty-two sorts of grapes, peaches, apricots,—a hundred dozen 
ona tree; plums abundant; apples, pears, cherries, quince, pomegranates, 
oranges, and their tribe; bananas, loquats, guavas, but no gooseberries, 
currants, raspberries, or strawberries: these are grown in a few places 
up the hills. Strawberries sell in the season at 1s. the wineglassfull ; 
cherries, 3s. per lb.; plums, 9d. per quart; stone-fruit, 2d. or 1d. each; 
the finest Muscat or Frontignae, or black Hamburg grapes, 3d. per Ib. ; 
