380 Botanical Notes — -mainly from the Colne Valley. 



young leaves of the bistort, which covers considerable areas 

 in the same fields. Heart's-tongue fern, once I am assured by 

 ■old native naturalists so common in Merridale, Slaithwaite, 

 has completely vanished thence, the last having been uprooted 

 and transferred to a greenhouse some years ago, but in June 

 I was shown a solitary specimen springing out of an old wall 

 near a stream in the Holmfirth district, unfortunately bordering 

 a constantly used footpath. An odd plant of Genista anglica L. 

 still lingers on in a moory field at Cop Hill, Slaithwaite. Other 

 plants now established in the valley have been intentionally 

 introduced by local naturalists. Hottonia palustris L. has, 

 however, gone from the dam near Marsden, but Claytonia 

 sibirica L. abounds in damp woods by the river and canal at 

 Slaithwaite, and C. perfoliata Donn. at a place near Marsden, 

 Hypericum elodes L., originally brought from Surrey, flourished 

 many years by a dam in the neighbouring Blackburn valley, 

 but of late has suffered much from the depredations of the 

 unappreciative passers by. Gcntiana campestris L., thrives 

 in a field near Shred, Narthecium ossifragum Huds. less plenti- 

 fully in two wet places at Boothbanks and in Drop Clough, 

 while Pinguicula vulgaris L., also in the latter place, is steadily 

 diminishing as the result of rock-slides. In September of last 

 year a so-called viviparous example of Cynosurns cristatus L., 

 was met with near Wilberlee, at an elevation of 800 ft. Doubt- 

 less the long continued cold and wet had something to do with 

 the suppression oi the usual leisurely flowering and seed- 

 ripening processes, and the substitution therefor of the more 

 easily and quickly produced offshoots or miniature plants, 

 which have also the added advantage of being a stage or two 

 farther advanced in development with lessened risk of des- 

 truction. I am not aware that the phenomenon has been 

 observed in this grass before", but if not, it is quite possible that 

 in similar unfavourable circumstances, others not known to be 

 viviparous may occasionally become so without being noticed, 

 thus conceivably laying the foundation for the acquisition of the 

 habit as markedly as in Festuca ovina L. The alien, Matricaria 

 siiaveolens Buch. now occurs in considerable quantity on waste 

 ground at Fenay Bridge and probably also at other places on 

 the same horse trafiic route. A good assemblage of other 

 aliens may be seen at the Slaithwaite corn mill tip in Hollin's 

 Row, but not in such variety as usual, owing to the restricted 

 importation of foreign grain and wool, and this has also been 

 my experience in the Calder Valley. Apparently therefore, 

 many of the aliens do not altogether establish themselves, but 

 in normal times receive reinforcements year by year. 



The Entomologist's Record for October has a note on ' Racial and Sub- 

 specific Names,' by Dr. T. A. Chapman. 



Naturalist, 



