LINCOLNSHIRE NATURALISTS AT SLEAFORD. 315 
G. tetrahit L., type, also its fore albo form, and G. bifida Boenn., 
variety. Herniaria glabra L. was found in two places in Quarrington 
parish. It was first recorded by Rev. George Crabbe in ‘The 
Botanist’s Guide,’ 1805. Verified by Dr. R. Latham, of dictionary 
fame, in 1838, who sent specimens to the late Prof. Babington. Its 
range is very limited, being confined apparently to the parishes of 
Quarrington, South Rauceby, and Wilsford in 14; and Ancaster, 
with the hamlet of West Willoughby, the next parish, just over the 
Division border, in 15. Both the type and variety suéctliata Bab. 
are in the ‘County Herbarium’; but Prof. Babington wrote to me 
a year ago to say it was his intention to remove the varietal name 
from the ninth edition of his ‘Flora.’ Under date August 29th, 
1894, Miss S. C. Stow, of Court Leys, Brandon, Grantham, wrote to 
me as follows :—‘ On the 27th, while looking for Gentiana campestris 
L., we found #. glabra L. growing in a rather thin seed field. The 
ground for about an acre and a half was green with it; and we easily 
saw it, for the specimens were very large and fine, as you will see 
from those enclosed. It was a truly wonderful sight, which we shall 
probably never see again. The ground must be full of seed ; and if 
it can stand the four course system of cultivation, it must like its 
habitat, and will not die out, I imagine.’ The limited range of the 
species with us, and the fact that it appears steadily to be spreading 
from this one centre, and also the fact that H. Airsuta L. has been 
introduced into the county with foreign barley, suggests most forcibly 
that we have in H. g/abra an old alien which has found a congenial 
settlement rather than a true native. One curious Carex was 
taken, which Messrs. W. Fowler and F. A. Lees will not undertake 
authoritatively to name. It has yet to be submitted to Mr. A. 
Bennett. From a marked ‘London Catalogue’ I find that 264 
species were recorded. 
Mr. J. Larder reports :—The gathering of d/ge I took from the 
river Slea, on which Mr. T. Spence-Smithson, of Rochdale, has kindly 
reported, consisted of Mesocarpus pleurocarpus, not, however, ty pical. 
Also two species of Spirogyra, tenuissima and flavescens. The first 
of the three is a first record for the county. Mr. R. Ww. Goulding 
reported the Wall Butterfly—Aipparchia megera—1 
A small but hearty party of workers gathered together at the 
Bristol Arms Hotel for high-tea at four o’clock, and an after-talk on 
natural history subjects, botany predominating from the number of 
workers interested in that subject. Every one was in good spirits, 
and the members present unanimously passed a vote of thanks to 
Colonel M. W. Willson, C.B., J.P., for generously opening his estate 
for their inspection. 
| Nov. 1895. 
