Miscellaneous . 49 1 



and remarkable species nearly allied to R. sylvaticusy common in 

 several parts of the county [Leicestershire]." — P. 42. 



This is the plant which has been long known to the British students 

 of Brambles as the ** R. sylcaticus of Bloxam." I have long con- 

 sidered it distinct from my R. sylvaticus, of which the following is 

 the character according to Mr. Bloxam. My friend Mr. John Lange 

 of Copenhagen has sent me a bramble which seems to be R. calvatus 

 which he finds **in sylvis Fionise frequens." — C. C. B. 



3. *' R. sylvaticus (W. and N.) ; stem angular, with solitary 

 spreading hairs, prickles moderate numerous declining ; leaves qui- 

 nate, large, soft, and flexible, green on both sides, softly pubescent 

 beneath, central leaflet cordate-ovate with narrow apiculate dentations 

 and a long cusp ; flowering branches numerous, leafy ; floral leaves 

 usually trifid or simple ; calyx clothed with long soft hairs ; sepals 

 elongated, closely reflexed in flower and fruit." — P. 43. 



4. *'J?. mucronatus (Blox.) {R. sylvaticus, Leighton's Fasc. ?) ; 

 stem round or very slightly angular, densely hairy near the root, less 

 hairy above, prickles very few weak straight ; leaves quinate, thin, 

 green on both sides, slightly hairy, central leaflet cordate-orbicular 

 or broadly ovate abruptly cuspidate ; panicle narrow, of few branches 

 mostly one- and two-flowered (rarely more than three) on long peduncles, 

 rachis clothed with a dense ashy tomentum with setae and glands 

 intermixed. — This apparently well-marked species has been referred 

 by some to R. sylvaticus (W. and N.) ; but its general aspect, pecu- 

 liarly formed leaves, and simple panicle with long pedicels usually 

 one- and two-flowered, indicate a closer affinity to the R. Lingua of 

 W. and N. than to their R. sylvaticus'"' — P. 43. 



In my opinion the R. sylvaticus of Leighton's Fasciculus is cer- 

 tainly this species. I have gathered it in several parts of Scotland. 

 —0. C. B. 



ON VICTORIA REGIA. 



Sir William Hooker having referred to me to furnish him with 

 some dates respecting my account of Victoria Regina in the ' Annals 

 of Natural History ' for August, I was induced to go to the Geogra- 

 phical Society last Friday (the 22nd instant) to see what I could find 

 there relating to the subject. Having obtained permission of the 

 President, my excellent friend Capt. William H. Smyth, R.N. &c., 

 to consult the minutes and other archives of the Society to make ex- 

 tracts from them and print any I should think necessary, I was 

 much surprised with the new light they threw on the question, and 

 therefore hasten to send you the more important documents as an 

 appendix to my former pa])er. 



It appears by the correspondence which I send you, that the Geo- 

 graphical Society determined to appropriate Mr. Schomburgk's paper 

 on the Water Lily as soon as it arrived, and before they transmitted 

 it to the Botanical Society. They immediately deputed Dr. Liudley 

 to describe and figure it ; but why the Secretary subsequently bor- 

 rowed from me the drawing and description belonging to the Bota- 

 nical Society is still a mystery to me ; the drawing was faithfully re- 

 turned, and is now on the walls of the Botanical Society's library. 



