THE ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, [THIRD SERIES.] " 4 perlitora spargite museum. Naiades, et cireilm vitreos considite fontes : Pollice virgineo teneros h\c carpite floras : Floribus et pictum, divje, replete canistrum. At vos, o Nymphae Craterides, ite sub undas ; Ite, recurvato variata corallia trunco Vellite muscosis e rupibus, et mihi conchas Ferte, Deae pelagi, et pingui conchylia succo." N.Parthenii Giannettasii Ecl.l. No. 85. JANUARY 1865. I. — On the British Arctia. By Charles C. Babington, M.A., F.R.S., Professor of Botany in the University of Cambridge. In former volumes of these ^Annals ^ (ser. 1. iv. 253 ; ser. 2. xvii. 369; ser. 3. ii. 351) I endeavoured to define the British species of the genus Arctium^ and hoped at the time that I had cleared up most of the difficulties attending them, but well knew that some points, and those not unimportant, remained in doubt. It is now my wish to make a few additional remarks upon these plants, because information which has been gradually obtained has shown that some of the conclusions formerly arrived at are not well founded. In the pursuit of truth we often have to alter our views; and truth now requires me to announce a change, and to acknowledge that I have certainly been in error in not a few of my former ideas — ideas which I have continued to hold until very recently. This reconsideration of the subject has been chiefly caused by the remarks of my valued and learned correspondent, M. F. Crepin, of Gand. Before he had seen my papers in these *Annals,^ that eminent botanist pointed out that three well-defined species of Lappa, as he names the genus, exist in Belgium *, namely Lappa tomentosa, Lam., L. minor, DC, and L. major, Gaertn. He states that the former is well * Notes sur quelques Plantes rares ou critiques de la Belgique, fasc, i. p. 15. Ann. ^ Mag. N, Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. xv. 1
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