In all the Districts, but far from frequent according to my own observations. Flowers small, leaves divided almost to their base. Peduncles larger than the leaves, pedicels very long.

8. G. molle, (Linn.) soft Crane's-bill. Engl. Bot. t. 778. Reich. Icones, v. 191.

Locality. Cultivated and waste ground. A. Fl. April, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

In all the Districts. The wrinkled capsules constitute the most essential difference between this species in all its wide variations of magnitude, and the preceding.

9. G. lucidum, (Linn.) shining-leaved Crane's-bill. Engl. Bot. t. 75. Reich. Icones, v. 187.

Locality. Old walls, hedge banks, and cottage roofs. A. Fl. May, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Equally distributed with the last species, stems branched shining bright red, and smooth, as are the leaves, and where much exposed often wholly tinged of a fine crimson. Haller says of this species "tota planta amat rubescere."

10. G. Robertianum, (Linn.) stinking Crane's-bill, or Herb Robert. Herba Roberti is an old name referring probably to some unknown Physician of the middle ages, who first introduced the plant to notice. Engl. Bot. t. 1486. Reich. Icones, v. 187.

Locality. In waste ground, on walls, banks, and under hedges. A. Fl. May, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Common in all the

Districts.

One of the most frequent and elegant of British plants, petals beautifully streaked with red and purple, with white streaks from the base, rarely all white. In exposed situations the stems and leaves often present the bright crimson hue assumed by those of "G. lucidum."

11. G. rotundifolium, (Linn.) round-leafed Crane's-bill. Engl. Bot. t. 157. Reich. Icones, v. 190. "G. viscidum." (Ehrh.) Locality. Old walls and waste places, rare. A. Fl. June, July.

Area, 1. 3. 4. 5.

South Division.

1. South-east District, "Amesbury," Dr. Southby. banks on the Devizes road," Major Smith.

"Hedge

3. South-west District, "Warminster," Mr. Wheeler. North Division.

4. North-west District, "Frequent about Chippenham," Dr. Alexander Prior. "Near Corsham," Miss Meredith.

5. North-east District, "Burbage," Mr. William Bartlett. At present rare and apparently a very local species in Wilts, though not of uncommon occurrence in the adjoining county (Somerset). Further localities are desired in order that its distribution may be accurately ascertained. This plant is not unfrequently mistaken for “G. molle, or G. pusillum," to both of which it is nearly related. But the former of these two is distinguished by its cleft or deeply emargined petals, and by its wrinkled utriculus having a smooth beak. "G pusillum" has emarginated petals, only 5 antheræ, and its flowers are much smaller although also pale red. The beak of the utriculus is not furnished with distant but with thick crowded hairs. "G. pyrenaicum" which is most nearly related to "G. molle" has a perennial root, is much larger in all its parts; has also large flowers, the petals of which are deeply cleft, and it has not a bunchy utriculus. "G. dissectum" is distinguished by its palmate cleft leaves, the lobes of which are linear and stand at equal distances from each other, the emarginated petals are as long as the awned calyx; the beak of the utriculus is furnished with shaggy hairs, the flower stalks are shorter than the stem leaves. "G. columbinum" on the other hand which is very like "G. dissectum," has very long wavering flower stalks, stem leaves of the same kind, large flowers and a smooth beak of the utriculus. The genus Geranium cannot be distinguished at first sight from Erodium. But the latter has among its ten filaments five that are abortive. The beak of the utriculus is turned into a spiral shape and is internally furnished with hairs which may be most easily seen in E. cicutarium, the most common species.

ERODIUM, (L'HERIT.) STORK'S-BILL.

Linn. Cl. xvi. Ord. i.

Name. From (erodios), a heron or stork, the bill of which bird the fruit or capsule resembles.

1. E. cicutarium, (Sm.) hemlock (cicuta, Lat.) leaved Stork's-bill, though the true hemlock is "conium maculatum." Engl. Bot. t. 1768.

Locality. Banks and fields, on dry gravel, sand or chalk. A. Fl. June, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. *

South Division.

1. South-east District, "Sandy parts of Clarendon wood, and of Alderbury Common." Dr. Maton, and Mr. James Hussey.

2. South-Middle District, Fields near Erlestoke.

3. South-west District, "near Corsley," Miss Griffith.

North Division.

4. North-west District, "Malmesbury," Mr. Hull. "Chippenham,' Dr. Alexander Prior. "" Gravelly cornfields at Bromham," Miss Meredith. Sandy fields at Spye Park, Sandridge and South Wraxhall.

Not very common in any of the Districts. This species can scarcely be absent in District 5, although I have seen no examples as yet from this part of the county.

The structure of the seed vessel in this genus (Erodium) should be attentively examined by the student as affording a beautiful and striking instance of evident design. The seeds surrounding the pistil at its base are each of them covered with a distinct and separate coat, which runs out into the form of a narrow appendage or tail, to the extremity of the style with which it is slightly connected along the whole length, and which has five grooves to receive the five seeds with their appendages. Each of these appendages has the remarkable property of contracting itself into a right line when moist. In short it is a spiral spring which lengthens and contracts itself alternately, and in proportion to the degree of moisture or dryness to which it is exposed. This power first exerts itself when the seed and its appendages are arrived at maturity, and in consequence of which it is soon disengaged from the parent plant. The power of contraction and dilatation still continue according to the changes of the atmosphere, and the seed is kept continually in motion till it is either destroyed by the vicissitudes of the season, or meets with some crevice in the earth into which it can easily insinuate itself.

From thence in the course of time a new plant begins to come forth furnished with leaves and flowers and performing all the functions of vegetable life.

2. E. moschatum, (Sm.) Musk Stork's-bill. Engl. Bot. t. 902. This plant formerly grew in some plenty under the old walls about Kingsdown, (District 4) where it was first noticed by the late Mr. J. Jelly. I am not aware of its having been observed in this locality of late years.

ORDER. LIN ACEE. (DE CAND.)

LINUM. (LINN.) Flax.

Linn. Cl. v. Ord. iii.

Name. From linon, (Gr.) and this from lin (Celtic) a thread, hence the roots of our words lint and lint seed, line, linen, &c.

1. L. usitatissimum, (Linu.) so called from its extreme utility and the various economical purposes to which its several parts are applied. Engl. Bot. t. 1357. St. 26, 12.

Locality. Cultivated fields and waste ground, occasionally. A. Fl. July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Formerly the "Flax" was much more cultivated in Wiltshire than at present, hence found here and there so often as a straggler throughout the districts. There is another source from which it is propagated in the county, viz. by bird-catchers who carry the seeds of the flax to feed their call birds and scatter them on commons, by waysides, &c. where they vegetate but keep no permanent hold of the ground so as to form good localities. If a flower of the common flax be attentively examined we shall find that its parts are arranged in a quinary order. Thus there are five pieces in the calyx, five petals, five stamens, and five pistils, the germens being united into one globose capsule of ten cells. The seed of plants of this kind is composed of 2 lobes, hence they are called dicotyledons, (Dis. twice.) As the seed of the flax is very small, a Bean or Almond is more convenient for examination of the lobes, to facilitate which the seed must be first put into boiling water. Here then we have an excellent illustration that dicotyledonous plants observe a quinary disposition of their parts. As a knowledge of

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the laws which regulate the numerical proportions of the parts of plants is of the greatest use in facilitating an acquaintance with vegetable organization, I shall give a brief outline of the subject on some future occasion.

2. L. angustifolium, (Huds.) narrow-leaved Flax. Engl. Bot. t. 381. This species has been observed along the banks of the Warminster Railway (District 3), in large quantities during the present summer (1860) by Mr. R. C. Griffith.

3. L. catharticum (Linn.) cathartic Flax, from its purgative properties. Engl. Bot. t. 382.

Locality. Grassy places, waysides and dry banks. A. Fl. June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Frequent in all the Districts.

RADIOLA, (GMEL.) FLAX-SEED.

Linn. Cl. iv. Ord. iii.

Name. (Lat.) a little ray, dimin. of radius, a ray; in allusion to the ray-like segments of the calyx, and capsule.

1. R. millegrana (Smith) Thousand-grained or many-seeded Radiola. Engl. Bot. t. 893. R. linoides, D.C. Koch.

Locality. Moist sandy ground in open heathy places. A. Fl. July, August. Area, 1. ****

South Division.

1. South-east District, "Damp sandy places at Alderbury, Mr. James Hussey.

A curious and interesting little plant, often overlooked from its minute size.

ORDER. BALSAMINACEAE. (RICH.)

IMPATIENS, (LINN.) BALSAM.

Linn. Cl. v. Ord. i.

Name. (Impatient) from the sudden opening of the valves of the capsule, when the fruit is touched.

1. I. Noli-me-tangere (Linn.) Yellow Balsam, Touch-me-not, Quick-in-hand. Engl. Bot. t. 937. Reich. Icones, v. 198.b, St. 5.15. Locality. Moist shady woods and banks of rivulets. A. Fl. July, September. Area, 1. ****