Moss : Changes in the Halifax Flora. 



Bolton's infallibility to explain how it is that the first of these 

 periods is marked by a mere list, and the second by several 

 excellent herbaria [4] where, if mistakes did occur, they could 

 usually be detected and put right. 



Before leaving- the question of the CEnanthes, I will quote 

 the opinion of the author of the Halifax flora [15], an opinion 

 which was penned in 1897. Mr. Crump, in summing- up the ques- 

 tion of Bolton's record of CE. fistnlosa, wrote — ' There is no later 

 evidence of this species about Halifax, and Bolton's plant was 

 probably CE. crocata. There are undoubtedly a few errors in 

 Bolton's list ; and here he may have been misled by Hudson, 

 who limited the distribution of CE. crocata to the south of 

 England.' 



It is misleading- to argue that Bolton's records are necessarily 

 correct because of his quaint, picturesque, and affectionate style. 

 No one, to my knowledge, has ever questioned Bolton's record 

 of Hippuris, even though it is the only one for the district. 

 Questions of distribution are too complicated to be settled by 

 applying any one factor. But the same style is to be noticed 

 in the case of undoubted errors, even in the case of errors 

 admitted in the 'Rejoinder.' Let us consider Bolton's records of 

 Salix reticulata, of Colchicum autnmnale, and of Cardials acaulos, 

 all for the Halifax parish. Now, in the case of the Salix, Bolton 

 says it was found ' on the top of Norland, Rishworth, and 

 Warley moors, here and there, not plentiful.' In regard to the 

 Colchicum, he says it grew 'in meadows about Savile Green, 

 near Halifax, and a few in a Pasture at Hill, in Warley.' In 

 regard to the Cardans, he says he had seen it ' in a lane going 

 from Coathill to Warley, also in some rough meadows on the 

 top of Eland park. It is a pretty little Plant.' Yet even 

 the 'Flora of West Yorkshire' |(>| does not defend these 

 records. Evidently the argument from Bolton's style beautiful 

 though the latter be had better be abandoned. 



If there be any who are still prepared to swear by the 

 infallibility of the 1775 list, I ask them to consider the above 

 record of Colchicum autnmnale lor Halifax. The stations are 

 most unlikely. The plant has never been found there since. 

 But Crocus nudifiorus was found in the first station early in the 

 century. 1 found a small and dwindling patch of it in the second 

 station three years ago. Crocus nudifiorus is not uncommon 

 in some mid-England districts, w here, long" before Bolton's time, 

 it was, for some reason difficult to decide upon, introduced from 

 the Pyrenees. The Crocus, like the Colchicum, Sowers in 



1901 April 1 . 



