VI. NATIVITY OF SPECIES. 59 
and uncertainties which the discrepant views of the authors he 
must consult and rely upon, unavoidably introduce into his geo- 
graphical records and arrangements. Further, it is to be hoped, 
that Darwinism may operate serviceably in checking the frivolous 
vanity of ‘‘ species-making ;” while it will also stimulate to a more 
careful study of variation, and perhaps induce naturalists to 
discard that unphilosophical expression “ only a variety,” far too 
frequent in use among botanists. 
6. Nativity oF THE SPEcIEs. 
Among the plants now found seemingly wild in Britam, whether 
more or less widely distributed, are many species which occur 
“under conditions calculated to suggest an idea that they may have 
been first introduced into this island by the agency of mankind, 
and not by pre-human natural agencies. Botanists are far from 
agreed on a line of separation between the admitted and disputed 
natives. Inexperienced observers more readily believe in the true 
nativity of plants; while those of greater experience will frequently 
find grounds for doubt or distrust. Besides this personal dif- 
ference, the desire of appearing as discoverers too often leads vain- 
glorious collectors to make out the best case they can in support of 
the “ native claims” of species, and the “ truly wild” character of 
their localities. A good deal of actual misrepresentation, along 
with the frequent suppression of important circumstances which 
are adverse to an acceptance of the localities, thus comes into the 
records of plant-localities, greatly to the inconvenience of phyto- 
geographers; some of whom have not been sparing of their 
censures upon the writers who are guilty of these paltry falsifi- 
cations, which always finally recoil in disparagement of their 
short-seeing perpetrators. 
Various questions in botanical geography, retrospective and 
present, require an elimination of the introduced or non-native 
elements in a mixed flora; leaving those only which are truly 
natural to the country as aboriginally native species. Not that 
botanists expect ever to make an exact separation of the humanly- 
