246 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST 



[Vol. L 



both these places, as well as in others from the botanical 

 gardens of Cambridge University, the same mixture of 

 good and bad grains was found. These facts seemed to 

 invalidate the conclusion that abortive spores are an in- 

 variable sign of hybridism, but, as has so often been the 

 case in scientific matters, evidence which at first seems to 

 discredit a given hypothesis, on further investigation is 

 seen actually to corroborate that same hypothesis. 



Eeference to systematic works shows that there are two 

 varieties of E. angustifolium growing in England, E. 



macrocarpum (Steph.) and E. brachycarpum (Leight). 

 There are a number of minor differences in the length 

 of the stolons, shape of the leaves, flowers, etc., but the 

 most definite is the relative length of capsule and pedicel. 

 E. macrocarpum 3 grows sparingly but generally from 

 Somerset and Hants, to Orkney, while E. brachycarpum, 

 though cultivated commonly all over England, is found 

 much more rarely in the wild condition, being recorded 



aBoswell, Syme, "English Botany." 



