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NEW PUBLICATIONS. 307
tlic most disposed to contradict us, might have seen and proved, like
us, or better than us, if they had devoted themselves to the same
inquiries with materials similar to ours. We have not been able to
resist the desire to quote tliese words of the learned author of the
' Icones,' which indicate, much better than we could have done, the
point of view in which we have placed ourselves to study the genus
Riibus, of which we have undertaken the history." (Genevier, ' Essai,'
pp. 1-2.)
Taking Professor Babingtou as a representative of the second class,
we find that he also, unless we greatly mistake his meaning, holds that
the " species " which he adopts or establishes are (excluding mistakes
arising from imperfect information which fuller inquiry will rectify)
individualities of an absolute character bounded by nature with a line
of strict limitation. The rule which he lays down, or general principle
of species-limitation which he enounces, is as follows :
" If a Bramble is found to retain the same appearance, under different
circumstances of soil and exposure, although many of its characters
vary considerably, we may conclude that it is a true species and form
some idea of its range of variation." (' British Eubi,' p. 19.)
To this any botanist who represents the first or third class imme-
diately objects. " If it varies considerably under different circumstances
it does not retain the same appearance," and the Miillerian asks, " By
what rule, other than by a measure fixed arbitrarily in your own mind
in each special case, do you unite together under one name as a single
' it,' half-a-dozen or a dozen forms which I can undertake to dis-
tinguish ?" To this inquiry we do not think that Professor Babingtou
could return any answer that would satisfy an unprejudiced umpire.
For our own part, we can only say that we heartily wish,— that, at any
rate it would save an enormous amount of trouble, — if he had in this
work and his other writings on this subject, and if the numerous writers
of the class which he represents had as firm ground under their feet
as they seem to think that they are standing upon ; but we cannot
admit that the ground is firm, for this reason, amongst others, that
after having examined authenticated specimens of every one of Pro-
fessor Babington's species, and studied most of them in a growing
state, we have had the opportunity of comparing with M. Genevier's
work, a large collection of English and French specimens labelled by
the latter, and that we cannot see that the 203 species iw the one case,
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