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able to reduce his species to three, namely, (1) The 

 strap-shaped glaucous leaf of the common snowdrop ; 

 (2) The much broader plicate or enfolded leaf of 0. 

 plicatus, readily known by its reduplicate marginal area ; 

 then (3) The broadly lorate, shining green leaf, such as 

 those of G. latifolius and G. Fosteri. When once these 

 types of leafage are recognised and understood, the 

 specific identification of any known snowdrop becomes 

 an easy matter. As thus tabulated one may see at a 

 glance how important the leaf characters are in the 

 study of snowdrops. Guided in some measure by 

 these, which are far less variable than those of the 

 flowers, Mr Burbidge says, " I am led to believe that 

 the three species heading the columns of the above table 

 really form the backbone of the genus Galanthus, and 

 I should not feel at all surprised to find that all the 

 other kinds of snowdrops known to us, could be obtained 

 as hybrids or seedlings of these three main types." I 

 must, therefore, refer you to Mr Burbidge's able paper, 

 published in the " Journal of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society," (vol. xiii., part 2,) for fuller particulars on this 

 part of the subject. 



A large number of varieties have arisen from the 

 common G. nivalis, and one of the most 

 Galanthus beautiful is G. Imperati. It is more than 

 nivalis, double the size of the common form, and 



and its is very handsome when in flower. The 



varieties. plant came originally from Italy, and I 

 believe it is to be found all along the 

 European shores of the Mediterranean. The finest form 

 is one known in gardens as G. Atkinsi, which I assume 

 to be a selection from an importation made by Mr 

 Atkins. This is an exceedingly fine form with broad 

 sepals and a long drooping flower, much finer than the 

 ordinary form of G. Imperati. The next finest is, I 

 think, one that originated at Faldonside, and is now 

 known as Boyd's variety. I will only quote what Mr 



