2M 
260 AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 
definable segregates of this would seem a hundred times more 
probable than 600 segregates of Crataegus in northeastern and 
middle western North America 
At the beginning of this deieluctuent of white thorn species, 
I regarded the rapid progress of it, as did others, with amazement 
and was disposed to be altogether incredulbus. The whole propo- 
sition involved too many improbabilities. I have not attempted 
any study of the forms existing in any locality where I have been, 
I have never published more than one new Cralaegus, and that was 
done before the new movement took íts rise, and had nothing to do 
with it. There are, however, some recent experiences of mine which 
have induced quite a change in my attitude toward the crataegus 
movement. In my annual excursions westward, northward and 
even eastward, I have met with more than one, or two, or three 
local amateur botanists to each of whom in his own district, a 
„ number of white thorn species was known familiarly, and by name; 
" men who would disclaim all accurate knowledge of their numerous 
violets, meadow rues and antennarias; and the reason of their 
familiar acquaintance with a number of crataegi I soon learned. 
The locality of each such resident botanist had been visited by 
Professor Sargent. They had conducted him to their woodland 
border thickets, their open slopes and their more level cow pastures 
where there were thorn trees, and he had indicated to them the © 
specific marks of the different kinds; and so, such local disciples of 
his were able to remove many a doubt of mine, I have been brought 
to an attitude of receptivity on the crataegus question. But what 
is more germain to the argument is that, since the new manual 
came out, they fail to find therein so much as the names of some 
of the species that they had reckoned among the best. Within 
the two seasons last past, I have heard this same complaint from 
different people and belonging to localities remote from one another; 
nor could it be otherwise if, as it plainly appears now, 490 out of 
the 600 newly published kinds of thorns are left without mention 
in k. 
` In one place and in another, quite within the manual limits 
I have been conducted by local botanists,—the names of several 
|. of them are of reputation in the science—to the various habitats of 
several of the violets of their vicinity, species whose distinctness 
every plant lover of the district is so well assured of as not to doubt 
x their title to the specific names that have been given them, and had 
