NOTICES GF BOOKS AND MEMOIRS. 



283 



comparing his plants with the types of continental botanists ; many 

 of the Roses, for example, have been named by Deseglise, while 

 the opinions of Genevier and Focke are quoted with regard to 

 many of the Brambles, not to mention authorities more familiar to 

 English botanists, such as Babington and Baker. Mr. Briggs is 

 no slavish follower of any of the eminent botanists we have named : 

 he differs from most of them on some point or other, taking care 

 to explain with characteristic modesty his reasons for doing so, 

 which seem sufficiently ample. To the readers of this Journal 

 from its commencement, the notes on the Roses and Rubi will be 

 of especial interest, as they refer in many instances to plants 

 which have been described or commented upon in its pages. 



It is not only on critical plants, however, that Mr. Briggs lias 

 made useful notes : we find these scattered throughout the book. 

 The following note upon Uosa micramtha may be taken as a type ot 



these : — ., , , 



" Rosa micrantha is one of our commonest roses its abundance 

 being quite a noticeable feature in the local flora. The petals vary 

 in colour from very light pink to rose, but seem never to have tne 

 full deep rose of those of ruhbjinosa. The odour of the plant 

 is generally stated to be faint ; but it can only be said to be so n 

 comparison with that of the • Sweetbriar.' The fruit varies fioui 

 ovate or urceolate to globose, and sometimes is sparingly setose, 

 though usuaUy naked, except close to the peduncle 1 am not 

 aware that the naked peduncled variety has been found a^vlieie 

 else in Britain, though Dr. Christ has recorded it from ^je de 

 Clanzo, near Santa Anna, on the Maritime Alps. Our P^* *w 

 the sepals eglandular at the back. It does not seem to be del endent 

 either on soil or situation for its peculiarities ; for it *ri**W 

 often grow in the same hedgerow, and it occurs on soils ^ei«itiy 

 constituted. A luxuriant form of it is the var. flv « f*akeis 

 < Monograph.' The late Rev. A. Bloxam sowed seeds I e nm, 

 and found it come true. M .. Deseglise pkces it ™J^"~g£3 

 Leman, an arrangement that I cannot follow. ***£g£^ 



Plymouth _.. 



the < Sweetbriar ' of cottage gardens. 



11 



i ■ Sweetbriar' oi cottage garueuo. „i,. ao( i v «air1 Mr 



In comparatively small matters, as we ^™ f^j^*^ 

 Briggs's careful observation is conspicuous. If he is deann * 

 an alien, or a plant whose nativity m the ^t^J^^ by 

 takes pains to put us in possession of the facts of rts oecm ence by 

 - full description of the circumstances under i****™ ™ ™ 

 d the names of the plants associated with it mindful, ^ppa 



the old adage that you may 'judge o a man by tne 

 te keeps. The habitats and times o flowe g ^receiv 



a 



and 



rently, of 

 company he keeps 



wmpany lie keeps, Tne iiauiw*w» ^»» „ rt „fi«notnrv of his 



similar careful treatment : we may note, as ^^bZZ 

 observations, that in Cheshire and Buckinghamshire T wla M </"» 



Mta. flowers earlier than F _~£ ffi £ &> ft* Aft 



Plymouth. While on the subject of Violets *e «™y 

 Plymouth Viola permixta (which here receives ^^^BrigS 

 teen identified 1, v M. Jordan, the founder of the neoM l. g^gS 

 adds, -The distribution of this plant in the neighbouiiiooa 



