THE PRESERVATION OF OUR FLORA 189 
unsightly litter. Teachers of field botany may well demonstrate 
mainly with common species, point out how much may be learnt 
of any plant w-ithout uprooting it, and abstain from taking large 
classes of children, or of students who are not well under control, 
to the habitats of rarities. With regard to the sale of wild 
plants in our large towns, it must be borne in mind that it is the 
demand that creates the supply, that if there were no purchasers 
there would be no dealers, if there were no receivers there would 
be no thieves. 
It may become necessary to deprecate, as Mr. Hudson has 
done in the case of birds, the formation of private collections. 
Meanwhile, I would urge upon all societies here represented 
that they should add to the summary of their “objects ’’ in their 
Rules some such clause as that which the Hertfordshire Natural 
History Society and Field Club has adopted. After stating 
four objects, as the investigation of the Natural History of the 
country, the publication of the results of such work, the dis- 
semination of information and the formation of a library and 
museum, they add as a fifth object, “ the discouragement of the 
practice of removing rare plants from the localities of which they 
are characteristic, and of exterminating rare birds, fish and other 
animals.” 
Some of you may have seen a letter which I wrote some 
months ago discussing the possibility of legal action against 
depredators under the existing laws, or the desirability of new 
legislation. Lord Clifford, the chairman of the United Devon 
Association, kindly pointed out that, in that letter, I understated 
the possibilities of the existing law, and the recent successful 
action of his Association has demonstrated that this was so. 
According to the old, narrow interpretation of the law of tres- 
pass, it was necessary to prove damage to fences or cultivated 
crops, wild plants, such as uncultivated mushrooms, black- 
berries, or wild ferns or flowers, not being protected ; but Lord 
Clifford pointed out that, if it can be shown that the articles 
removed have a market value, it is not necessary to show 
that they are cultivuted. Accordingly, in February last, the 
Wonford magistrates at Exeter sentenced two men to two 
months’ and six weeks’ hard labour respectively for damaging 
ground to the value of ;^5 and removing ;£’8 to £\o worth of 
fern-roots. The Western Counties’ Ferns and Wild Flowers’ 
Preservation Committee of the United Devon Association, 
besides advertising appeals in the local papers, have now issued 
a poster, “ to all whom it may concern,” on which these 
“ convictions” and the names of “the Devon County Council ” 
and “ Lord Clifford” appear in conspicuous type, calling atten- 
tion to the “ illegal removal of roots of ferns, plants and wild 
flowers from the lanes, hedges and fields of Devonshire, whereby 
many beautiful spots in the county have become denuded of 
their natural charms, to the detriment and disfigurement of 
the property,” and giving “ notice that all offenders are liable to 
prosecution.” 
