208 
NATURE NOTES 
to say, in anticipation of their future uses, but are the actual 
results of the visits of insects in the first case, and the want of 
their stimulus in their absence in the others ; the self-fertilised 
and wind-fertilised flowers being in most cases degraded forms. 
This may be well seen in the cleistogamous buds of the violet, 
which will be found beneath the leaves in summer time. 
All, therefore, that is required to produce new varieties and 
thence new species, is that the seeds of a plant should be carried 
to a different locality, where the surrounding conditions are 
somewhat markedly in contrast with the previous ones in its 
original home. It has been observed by many botanists that if 
a plant is abundant in one particular place, varieties are always 
to be looked for on the confines of its geographical area, because 
the offspring find there more variable conditions. The power to 
vary is then called into action, and the organs change in con- 
formity or adaptation to the new conditions of life. In this way 
aquatic plants have descended from terrestrial, while some of the 
former have re-acquired terrestrial habits. 
It is by the great doctrine of evolution that we have a true 
interpretation of the “affinities” of plants, and the terms 
“species,” “genera” and “orders” or families have a real 
meaning of community of descent, and are not merely terms to 
stand for groups of plants which happen to resemble one another 
more or less. 
The student should now look out for coincidences, similarities 
of structure in different plants growing under the same con- 
ditions, and he will soon find innumerable corroborations to the 
foregoing remarks. 
George IIenslow. 
EDITORS AND ANNOTATORS OF GILBERT 
WHITE’S “SELBORNE.” 
HE issue of a fresh edition of “ The Natural History of 
Selborne ” recalls to mind the various writers on 
natural history who have during the present cen- 
tury edited or annotated editions of this classical 
work. Very early in the century, in 1802, White’s nephew, 
John White, superintended the production of an octavo edition, 
which he prefaced with that short account of Gilbert’s life, 
which has been reprinted in nearly all succeeding editions. We 
missed, however, in this edition the “ Antiquities,” omitted, as 
we were informed, as being of but little interest to the general 
reader. When the quarto edition of 1813 was published the 
“Antiquities” were again found in their proper place, and the 
Naturalist’s Calendar, which had appeared as a separate volume 
shortly after White’s death, was incorporated in the work. The 
edition was annotated by John Mitford, whose notes also found 
