10 
genous at Compton, Isle of Wight, is perhaps a matter of doubt. 
Evidence of the non-existence of the plant there many years ago may 
be drawn from the fact that no mention is made of it by any of the 
older botanists who visited the locality, although £ Eocke Sam pier ’ is 
constantly noted by them as a plant growing ‘ in the white cliffs on 
the south side of the Isle of Wight.’ It is not probable that so con- 
spicuous a plant as Matthiola incana , growing in the same localities as 
Crithmum maritimum , would have been either overlooked or not con- 
sidered worthy of being noted. The first notice of this plant as occur- 
ring in the Isle of Wight appears to be that given by Dr. Bromfield in 
his ‘ Flora Vectensis,’ and there the principal station is represented to 
be at Steephill, the Compton station being recorded as an additional 
one. In 1868, I do not believe the plant existed at Steephill,* but on 
the cliff's east of Ventnor the plant was very abundant in that year, 
though, from the fact of the gardens of the houses extending to the 
edge of the cliff’, great doubt would attach to the character of the sta- 
tion. At Compton this is not the case ; the nearest house or garden 
is at Compton Farm, nearly half a mile from the shore. There are 
some slight differences between the plants from these two stations, 
which is possibly due to the fact that the cliffs at Compton are very- 
pure hard white chalk; those east of Ventnor, a soft crumbling chalk 
marl. The leaves of the plants at Compton are much more densely 
clothed with hairs than those of the Ventnor plants, and the flowers of 
the latter are of a bright rose colour, whilst those of the former have 
generally more of a purple tint.” — Fred. Stratton. 
Brassica campestris, L. “The wild state of the common Turnip, 
from hedgebanks and ditchsides in fields adjacent to the Thames, on 
the Surrey side of the river, opposite to Sunbury ; growing also in 
plenty on the Middlesex side of the river. As collectors observe this 
plant mostly in spring or summer, after the grass-green and hispid 
radical-leaves have faded away, they have usually misnamed it as 
Brassica Napas. Hence, the desirability of distributing examples in 
their late autumnal and winter state. Full explanations of my views 
on this species may be seen in the ‘Journal of Botany ’ for December, 
1869.” — H. C. Watson. 
Viola laciea, Sm. “ From a disused brick-field, on a heath-covered 
waste, by the left side of the road from Bagshot to Ascot Station, just 
* It grew at Steephill in I860. — H. Teimer. 
