ADDITIONAL NOTES, ETC. 433 



406. Ribes grossularia, vol. i. p. 394. 



Province G may be added in the area, on authority of 

 Mr. Motley's Caermai-thenshire list. I fear that the goose- 

 berry cannot correctly be held a true native of Britain. 

 In the Phytologist, iii. 77, Dr. Bromfield enters at some 

 length into a sort of special pleading in support of the 

 aboriginal nativity of the gooseberry in Britain. In this 

 attempt he is, as usual, more discursive in his arguments, 

 than forcible in his reasoning. This shrub is very gene- 

 rally cultivated in our gardens. It produces fruit there 

 abundantly. It is largely devoui'ed by birds, especially 

 by such as resort much to bushy places. Its seeds vege- 

 tate numerously in gardens and shrubberies, evidently 

 disseminated by bii'ds in many cases. Here we find suf- 

 ficing causes to account for its occasional appearance also 

 in hedge-rows and coverts distant from gardens. In such 

 situations it is usually seen in small numbers only, often 

 almost solitary. Moreover, it is not one of those s^jecies 

 that might be much expected to occur indigenous in 

 Britain ; founding our expectations thereof upon its na- 

 tural distribution in Europe. There is some difficulty in 

 distinguishing between its native and artificial distribu- 

 tion ; but I am inclined by the records to pronounce it 

 an eastern and alpine, rather than a western and arctic 

 species. And this supjDOsition is certainly countenanced 

 by its physiological character in relation to our climate. 

 It bears with impunity the severest cold of any English 

 winter; but is frequently injiu'ed in spring, through 

 rapidly unfolding its leaves and blossoms with the first 

 fitful return of genial weather. It thus seems adapted to 

 a climate or country where the winter is continuously 

 cold, and where the spring advances uniformly, without 

 that changeableness of temperatiu'e so characteristic of 

 our own climate. In short, it seems to suit a continental 

 VOL. m. 3 k 



