SHORT NOTES. 317 



jectiouable prize, perhaps I may be allowed to say a few words. 

 In the first place, those who competed for the prize offered for the 

 rarest twelve plants found were botanists, not ignorant grabbers, nor 

 rapacious and unscrupulous collectors, and the rarities of the dis- 

 trict were quite safe in their hands. Secondly, only a very limited 

 portion of the huge basaltic cliff- wall of the mountain is accessible 

 even to the most experienced climbers, and botanists can only 

 nibble at the edges, as it were, of the home of alpine rarities, so 

 that there is little fear of the extermination of any of the plants by 

 human hands, however grasping. As a matter of fact, only two of 

 the plants found ( Poly gala yrandi flora and Draba incana) occurred 

 in really limited quantity, and of each of these only one specimen 

 was brought away. The Belfast Naturalists' Field Club has long 

 enjoyed a well-earned reputation as preservers and protectors of the 

 flora and fauna, as well as the natural beauties and ancient monu- 

 ments of their district, and this reputation I trust they will continue 

 to deserve. — E. Lloyd Praeger. 



[We are quite sure that Mr. Praeger and his friends are not 

 likely to exterminate or in any w T ay endanger the existence of our 

 rare plants. But we are strongly of opinion that, on general 

 principles, the stimulus of a prize for the rarest plants collected on 

 a botanical excursion is unnecessary and unwise. It is unnecessary 

 for the botanist, to whom the discovery of a rare plant is in itself a 

 sufficient reward, and it is unwise to encourage the mere collector 

 to do more mischief than he would do without the prospect of a 

 recompense. We did not understand our correspondent to be 

 making a personal attack upon any botanist or society, or we 

 should not have printed his communication without further en- 

 quiry ; but the protest, on general grounds, still seems to us 

 timely and necessary. The sale of specimens of rare British 

 plants, if carried on to any extent, is another matter which, as it 

 seems to us, should be discouraged by botanists. — Ed. Journ. Bot.] 



Date of Grisebach's West Indian Flora. — Grisebach's Flora of 

 the British West Indian Islands bears the date ■? 1864" on its title- 

 page, but, as the work came out in parts, it is desirable to ascertain 

 the respective dates as to the publication of genera and species 

 contained therein. I have not seen a copy in the original wrappers, 

 but have compiled a record of the dates as follows, with my 

 authorities: — Part 1, pp. 1-96, in 1859 ; see Bot. Zeit. xix. (1861), 

 p. 239. Part 2, pp. 97-192, in the same year ; see Silliman, Am. 

 Journ. Sc. ser. 2, xxxi. (1861), i. p. 129. Part 3, pp. 193-322, in 

 1860; see Silliman, Am. Journ. Sc. ser. 2, Lc, and Bot. Zeit. I.e. 

 p. 296. Parts 4 and 5, pp. 323-506, came out in 1861, according 

 to a note of Dr. Garcke's in the Berlin Royal Herbarium Library, 

 communicated by Dr. Urban; see also Silliman, Am. Journ. Sc. 

 ser. 2, xxxiv. (1862), ii. p. 288. Parts 6 and 7, pp. 507-789, com- 

 pleting the work, were issued in 1864 ; see Silliman, Am. Journ. 

 Sc. ser. 2, xxxix. (1865), i. p. 108.— B. Daydon Jackson. 



Sark Plants. — During a visit to the island of Sark, towards the 

 end of August this year, I noticed the following plants, which are 

 not recorded in Prof. Babington's Primitia Flora Sarnica, nor in 



