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 BOTANY was between Marholm and Walton, but it will be doubtless found in other situations if looked for. Hitherto I have not seen a specimen from any other country, but from the plant occurring almost exclusively in arable fields and especially in crops of seeds and sainfoin, we might expect the plant to be of foreign origin ; but Professor Hackel of S. Poelton, the greatest living authority on grasses, tells me he has not yet seen any besides English specimens. I may add that I named the plant Bromus interruptus, and the specific name was adopted because of the interrupted character of the inflorescence, which is very different from the panicle of the soft brome grass to which in other characters it is allied. Notwithstanding the opinions expressed by some of the botanists of the British Museum, Professor Hackel, C. B. Clarke the President of the Linnean Society, and other eminent botanists agree with me in describing it as a distinct species, differing as it does from the soft brome in several important characters, which are retained unchanged in cultivation. For further details see a paper by me which appeared in the Journal of the Linnean Society, vol. xxxii. pp. 426-430 (1896), and in my Flora of Berkshire, pp. 598-595- In the same locality I also met with a variety of the wild oat {Avena fatua) which I had previously gathered near Slough in Buckinghamshire, which is at once seen to differ from the type in possessing only one awn. Professor Hackel tells me he has never before seen this form, and he names it var. uniaristata, and gives this diagnosis : ' Spiculas biflorse cum rudimento pedicelliforme floris tertii, flore inferiore aristato, superiore mutico, quam inferiore | breviore, utroque glaberrimo vel inferiore pilis paucis obsito.' The species which have become extinct or so scarce as to have evaded my observation in the county include the following : — Hairy Buttercup. Ranunculus sardous, Crantz ; R. hirsutus, Curt. Frequently confused by botanists with hairy forms of the common buttercup Wall Rocket. Dtphtaxis tenuifolia, DC. Formerly on Northampton Castle Cress. Teesdalia nudicaulii, R. Br. Saponaria officinalis, L. ; var. cmcava. A monstrosity observed by Gerard in a spinney near Litch- borough prior to 1597 Sundew. Drosera rotundifolia, L. In Harleston up to 1836 Nottingham Catchfly. Silene nutans, L. Recorded by Morton from the neighbourhood of Harring- worth, but here I think S. noctiflora was mistaken for it Pearl wort. Sagina subulata, Presl. Recorded prob- ably in error from Borough Hill in Baker's History Marsh Cinquefoil. Potenlilla palustris. Scop. ; Comarum palustre, L. Biggin Field Eryngo. Eryngium campestre, L. Formerly near Brockhall Sweet Cicely. Myrrhis Odorata, Scop. Only of casual occurrence Slender-headed Thistle. Carduus pycnocephalus, L. ; var. tenuiflorus (Curt.) Field Ragwort. Senecio campeslris, DC. Witter- ing Heath Prickly-headed Knapweed or Star Thistle. Cen- taurea Calcitrapa, L. Swine's Succory. Amoseris pusilla, Gaertn. For- merly near Creaton Smooth Cat's-ear. Hypochceris glabra, L. De- stroyed by ironstone excavations Stinking Hawk's-beard. Crepis fixtida, L. Sup- posed to have been gathered by Bobart near Whittlebury Forest prior to 1712 Rampion. Campanula Rapunculus, L. Bell-flower. Campanula rapunculoides, L. Spreading Bell-flower. Campanula patula, L. Possibly erroneously recorded Fringed Water-lily. Limnanthemum peltatum, Gmel. Formerly at Peterborough, but perhaps not within the limits of our county Mudwort. Limosella aquatica, L. Near Kelmarsh ; Morton, 1 71 2 Water Germander. Teucrium Scordium, L. Ditches in the Fen; Morton, 1 71 2 Ground Pine. Ajuga Chamapitys, Schreb. Downy Woundwort. Stachys germanica, L. For- merly in quarries near Fineshade Small Bladderwort. Utricularia minor is included in Topographical Botany, but on whose authority I have been unable to ascertain Buck's-horn Plantain. Plantago Coronopus, L. Billing Lings. Garlic. Allium oleraceum, L. Spider Orchis. Ophrys aranifera, Huds. Southorpe, etc. Tall Sedge. Cladium jamaicense, Crantz ; C. Mariscus, R. Br. Probably originally confused with Scirpus sylvaticiu, and certainly not recently observed M.irsh Fern. Diyopteris Tkelypteris, A. Gray. {Lastrea Thelypteris, Presl.) Sweet-scented Mountain Fern. Dryopteris montana, Kuntze. (JLastrea Oreopteris, Presl.) Royal Fern. Osmunda regarts, L. Moulton Pillwort. Pilukria globulifera, L. Borough Fen Several species have been erroneously recorded by various observers, and probably the following belong to the category ; in a few cases the plant may have been really noticed in one of the bordering counties and not within our boundary. 79