Notes and Comments. 349 
facts relating to plant distribution. His first sentence, how- 
ever, is unnecessary and inaccurate. 
PRESERVATION OF BRITISH FLORA. 
Another of Mr. Horwood’s ‘contributions to science’ 
deals with the disappearance of plants, not by hawking and 
collecting, but by droughts, drainage, cultivation, and golf 
links! We have known of rare plants being eaten by cattle. 
He suggests reservation. But we can assure Mr. Horwood 
that British botanists are fully alive to the causes of the 
disappearance of plants, many of which-are not preventable. 
Everything Mr. Horwood suggests is being done and has been 
done for years. As Mr. Horwood asks for information and 
advice, we would suggest to him that he leaves the botanists 
to deal with botanical matters. 
CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES. 
Mr. Horwood read a paper on somewhat similar lines to _ 
the Conference of Delegates, and asked that the following 
resolution might be unanimously passed :—‘ That the time 
had arrived when the protection and preservation of wild 
plants demanded the attention of Parliament.’ It was also 
moved that the Government be asked to appoint a Commission 
in regard to the matter, but this was negatived, one speaker 
stating that the appointment of a Commission would be a 
long and tedious affair. 
BOTANICAL WORK IN YORKSHIRE. 
Mr. T. Sheppard (Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union) stated 
that he was not sure from what benighted parts of the country 
the various delegates present might have come, but he could 
assure them that in the north they were sufficiently civilized 
to look after their botanical treasures without Royal Com- 
missions or other drastic measures being taken. The York- 
shire Naturalists’ Union, with its forty affiliated Societies and 
nearly 4,000 members and associates, had for many years 
taken the greatest possible interest in the preservation of the 
flora and fauna of the county, some of the more interesting 
localities being protected by watchers paid from the Union’s 
funds. Nor did they in Yorkshire find that serious harm 
was done, either by collectors or herbalists. After many 
years’ work he felt that in Yorkshire, and surely in other 
parts of England as well, the various Societies were doing 
much more good in looking after their floral treasures than 
harm in collecting them. In fact he felt that the professional 
or amateur collector was an exceedingly rare individual, one 
reason being his difficulty in disposing of large quantities to 
advantage. He was sure that Yorkshire botanists would 
resent any action being taken which would interfere with the 
present very satisfactory state of things. 
1913 Oct. 1. 
