292 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



botanists." In order to carry out this proposition, a Committee 

 was appointed to revise the names of new Daffodils ; the whole of 

 the varieties then known in cultivation were gone through, and 

 English names substituted in most cases for the Latin ones which 

 had been in use. A list was published containing the changes 

 thus made, the varieties being grouped under the species given 

 in the monograph of Mr. Baker. This list is in course of being 

 checked by the Committee, but up to the present time they have 

 not had the opportunity of examining living specimens of all 

 that is described therein. 



The Narcissus Committee held meetings in the months of 

 March, April, and May in 1886, and each of the succeeding years, 

 and the work which it has done, or had to do, may be described 

 briefly under three heads :— 



1. The acquisition of information as to the natural history of 

 the Narcissus, native habitats and natural varieties, their cultiva- 

 tion and development. Special mention may be made of the 

 following which have been introduced into this country since the 

 date of the last Conference, either afresh or for the first time : — 



Moschatus of LinnaBus, nobilis of Bedoute, cyclamineus 

 and Johiistoni, and large numbers of Ajax of different 

 kinds, Corbularia, and triandrus, which have been imported 

 and cultivated successfully. The wild forms have been found 

 to vary to a much greater degree than was supposed, and 

 in many cases a complete chain of forms may be shown connect- 

 ing two typical varieties which used formerly to be considered 

 totally distinct. Such, for instance, was the artificial division 

 separating triandrus and calathinus, a division which it has 

 been found impossible to uphold, and the latter name is now 

 given to the large -flowered varieties of the former. As a paper 

 will be read on the natural history of the Trumpet Daffodils, 

 which will embody our knowledge up to the present time, it is 

 unnecessary to dwell upon the subject here at greater length. 

 A question having been raised as to the possibility of the con- 

 version from single to double in flowers produced by the same 

 bulb, experiments were undertaken to investigate the accuracy 

 of the statement that under certain conditions of soil or climate 

 this change could be effected. Bulbs were planted at Kew, in 

 earth procured from certain localities, and although no change 

 has been observed in the trial made there, yet sufficient evidence 



