SELBORNIAN A. 
153 
to obliterate all politics, more than enough value would be given for the penny 
which the paper costs. With regard to Selbornian views, it is thoroughly sound, 
as may be deduced from the fact that it frequently contains articles from the pen 
of that admirable writer on rural matters, Aliss Venables Dodds. 
We receive with much pleasure the Animals' Guardian (30, Sackville Street, 
W.) each month. It is to be distinctly understood that the Selborne Society does 
not include an anti-vivisection crusade among its objects, and that the Animals' 
Guardian does. Having stated this, we may proceed to say that we are sure 
many of our readers will be much interested with the way in which this periodical 
advocates its cause. It does so with much ability, but, as far as we have noticed, 
without ferocity or exaggeration. While rightly condemning somej“ indefensible 
sports,” it does not run amuck against sport of every kind, and in one of its 
recent numbers there is a very sensible article on a matter we have gladly noticed 
ourselves — “ The growing consideration of sportsmen towards animals.” We 
are sure the Animals' Guardian by this wise and moderate course will do more 
to advance its cause than by any rabid denunciation of those whom it opposes. 
The Humanitarian League's Publications (Wm. Reeves, 185, Fleet Street, E.C.) 
are deserving of similar commendation. While deprecating the extensive multipli- 
cation of leagues, societies and associations which characterises the present time, 
we cannot help admiring the power with which Humanitarianism : its several 
Principles and Progress is written. If, as we are told in it, the best profession 
of the Humanitarian faith is that contained in one of the rules of Ruskin’s 
Society of St. George : “I will not kill nor hurt any living creature needlessly, 
nor destroy any beautiful thing ; but will strive to save and comfort all gentle 
life, and guard and perfect all natural beauty upon earth,” then we hope that most 
of our readers are Humanitarians already. The pamphlet we have referred to is 
written with unusual power and literary skill, which is not surprising if the writer, 
Air. H. S. Salt, secretary of the League, is, as we suppose, the author of the re- 
markable Literary Sketches and Monograph on Shelley. We are pleased to see 
that among the books recommended by him Nature Notes has a place. 
SELBORNIAN A. 
Evolution and Environment. — Out of a large number of communica- 
tions on this subject we select the following. Air. Arthur Bennett, F.L.S., writes 
as follows from Croydon : “ With reference to the discussion on the environ- 
ment of plants, I would recommend anyone who is working at it to read the 
observations of L. L. Laestadius in his ‘ Loca Parallela Plantarum, seu animad- 
versiones physiologico-botanicre de variis plantarum variationibus, prcecipue in 
Suecia boreali observatis,’ & c. , 1S39. It is a perfect storehouse of notes on the 
altitudinal behaviour of plants ; but seems little known out of Scandinavia.” 
Aliss A. Al. Buckton sends the following interesting note from Air. C. Pratt, 
a member of the Ilaslemere Branch : — “ In an article on the Effects of Environment 
on Plants in your last issue Air. Cockerell mentions instances of flowers reverting 
to other, and to their original colours. One such instance in my experience may 
interest some of your readers. I brought a large number of roots of dark blue 
violets from the Isle of Wight and planted them in a newly-raised bank of red 
sand in my garden in Sussex, 700 feet higher than their former habitat. The 
following year the flowers were all pure white. In two years more the flowers of 
these same plants reverted to their original blue. I imagine this to be caused by 
carbonate of lime, or other chemical substance, in the newly-excavated earth.” 
Air. Henry St. A. Alder carries on the discussion of last month as follows : — 
“ Professor Henslow seems to me not to have fully understood my contention 
about Veronica chamcedrys. He is indignant, and rightly, with those who are so 
ready to use their imagination rather than stick to the facts ; but I do not think 
I have incurred that charge. 
“ A rare plant, and one confined to but one, or but one class of situations, will, 
if change of environment be the sole cause of plant variation, give birth to no 
new varieties, and so it would come to pass that plants that are common, and 
therefore subject to such change of surroundings, would be the ones to produce 
new varieties. And, therefore, when I said that ‘ I should expect to find several 
