49. APOCYNACEiE. 167 



give it as a native of their district, and even mark it as 

 being second only to the class of the most common spe- 

 cies, in regard to its frequency. My own experience, from 

 not few botanical rambles around Edinburgh, is directly 

 opposed to both these views ; and I should have deemed 

 it neither frequent nor native ; unless, indeed, we are to 

 include in the census its localities in gardens and orna- 

 mental plantations. Twice in the county of Surrey, I have 

 found unrecorded localities, which had at first very much 

 the appearance of being genuine wild habitats ; but care- 

 ful investigation and historical inquiry afterwards led to 

 change of opinion, by showing that gardens or shrubberies 

 had once, though long ago, existed there. Taking into 

 account the rapid rate of increase, and hardy character of 

 the species, it is just the sort of plant that might be ex- 

 pected to prevail a hundred times more abundantly than is 

 the case now, if an aboriginal native. Under the circum- 

 stances, the northern limit, range of latitude, &c., may be 

 considered almost optional or arbitrary. It occurs in 

 Holland, Hanover, and the South of Denmark, as a re- 

 puted native, which is some evidence for the probability of 

 the species being natural to England also. 



717. ViNCA MAJOR, Linn. 



Area (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 * 10 * 12 13 14 15). 



AHen. Like the smaller species, this also has been re- 

 corded from about forty counties ; but I am not aware that 

 any botanist of authority in such a question, has yet con- 

 stituted himself the champion for its nativity. 



