THE OXLIP, COWSLIP, AND PRIMROSE — 281 
appeared to me that the latter was in the slightly moister places, 
especially the banks of the shallow dykes, while the former occu- 
pied the somewhat drier ones. What determined 7 presence of 
P. acaulis appeared to be partial shade, as a wood, or lessening of 
the effect of the direct rays of the sun by the slope of the ground at 
the ma no ft 
way, adjoining a little wood on its south-western side, a mile 
from Villeneuve. Here only also did I find what at first I ye to 
be the caulescent variety of P. acaulis, but afterwards, on careful 
detailed a and se Se judged to be probably crosses 
between P. acaulis and P. elatior. One leading feature which led 
to the change of my ae was the length of the hairs on the 
upper surface of the leaves, which appears to me to be a dis- 
tinguishing feature oan at least) of P. elatior, the correspondin 
part in both acaulis and veris being furnished with only very short 
pubescence, 5 that o: Aged examination it is apt to appear. 
a 
glabrou n other Teapocks these plants were intermediate 
character betw P. acaulis and —— in the aforesaid spot, 
as occasionally elsewhere, were spec s of crosses between 
P. acaulis and P. veris, such as, I itehas are seeaealy acknowledged 
or appears to me a more variable plant than either 
acaulis or veris, —* in the form of its leaves, which, while 
typically even more than those of P. verts, are contr acted u up to 
their middle, are "oebaelal?? very saat like those of acaulis. 
Such leaves, however retain the characteristic hairs of their upper 
surface, s o far a y observation goes, which greatly helps to dis- 
tinguish pate fk Piscai of the hybrids acaulis x veris. 
An interesting question appears to m e here to arise. Does not 
this greater variability of P. elatior point in the same direction as 
its perm oe eet, both in form and ae — acaulis 
its origin in the long past to pete oe 
ives: He 2 peal its comparative satiny in Britain, b 
the way, may be connected with the superior drainage of that 
countr. 
Shae the inter-relations of these Prim ulas very similar to 
those of the forms of the fruticose Rubi (and of ier confusing 
by crossing distinct poe | ie that which may be axel 
ts and animals when reared under new or unnatural con- 
ditions” (see The Origin of Species chap. i.). On the small area of 
Tunbridge Wells Common are found fort y different forms of Rubi, 
t difficult to separate from others, others plainly 
faa Sg cliractes. It is diffical to seo how they oan here 
have tan ted ‘‘under n conditions.” Is it no - therefore much 
more probable that they a done so by crossing ? 
