210 86. GRAMINA. 



rently in witness of both alleged species being found 

 there : "P. laxa, Hsenk. — Glen Dole, Aug. 1846, with var. 

 flexuosa, Parn., Prof. Balfour." This would api^ear con- 

 clusive and satisfactory, if we could relj^ on the Professor's 

 exactness. But without seeking to undervalue Professor 

 Balfour's general knowledge of botany, and perfect com- 

 petence to teach general and elementary botanj' to stu- 

 dents, I confess to have little or no reliance on his 

 accuracy in naming or distinguishing what are called 

 " critical species." Nor do I think that the Authors of 

 the British Flora, or the Author of the Manual of British 

 Botany, or any other real authority in British botany, 

 will venture publiclj^ to express a greater amount of trust 

 in Dr. Balfoui''s authority in this peculiar respect. In- 

 deed, it may be inferred from the omission of the alleged 

 Clova locality in the Manual of British Botany (1851) 

 that its Author does not rely upon Dr. Balfour's report of 

 1846. For the present therefore, the county of Forfar is 

 held to be questionable, as a habitat for either species, 

 without being deemed improbable in itself, or absolutely 

 rejected in the estimate of counties. Professor Amott 

 imites the two supposed species ; while Mr. Babington 

 separates them. My own examples, all from Lochnagar, 

 are in two opposite conditions, which most materially in- 

 terferes with proper comparison ; P. laxa being viviparous 

 only, and P. minor being in its normal state. So far as 

 may be judged under these non-comparable conditions, 

 the plants look distinct. But if distinct, the figure in 

 English Botany (127, small edition) would seem to repre- 

 sent the normal or non-viviparous state of P. laxa, not of 

 P. minor, under which latter it is doubtfully quoted (1123, 

 fii'st edition) by Mr. Babington. The range of altitude 

 and of temperatui'e for each species, is given on a merely 

 rough guess in the formula. The higher altitude indicated 



