288 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
The LONDON CATALOGUE or British PraAwTS; published 
under the direction of the BoraN1cAL Society or Lox- 
Don: adapted for an Index to British Herbaria; for marking 
desiderata in exchanges of specimens; for indicating the 
species of local districts; and for a guide to botanical col- 
lectors, by showing the comparative rarity or frequency of 
the several species. London. Pamplin. 
For several years past various “Catalogues of British 
Plants” have been issuing from the press, chiefly with the 
object of facilitating exchanges of specimens between stu- 
dents of indigenous botany. The general plan has been that 
of giving a full list of the pheenogamous plants and ferns, in 
such form as could be transmitted by post. In using the 
Catalogues, botanists could readily convert them into lists of 
their own desiderata, by attaching some mark to the names 
of species required. The usefulness of such Catalogues is 
apparent enough, not only in effecting exchanges, but for all 
purposes in which lists of species are required. Seven OF 
eight different forms and editions have been printed, and 
perhaps several thousands of copies have been advanta- 
geously dispersed. 
“A Catalogue of British Plants, arranged according to the 
Natural System, with the Synonyms of De Candolle, Smith, 
Lindley and Hooker,” published by Prof. Henslow, in the year 
1829, was probably the first of the lists. But this one being 
printed as a volume of several sheets, and designed for diffe- 
rent purposes, it can scarcely come into the same category 
with the catalogues for facilitating exchanges. The first of 
these minor lists, in a post form, appears to have been 
printed by Mr. H. Watson, in 1832, for private use only; 
its object being to assist that gentleman in obtaining 
information, by local lists and specimens, for his admirable 
works on the Geographical Distribution of Plants. Other de 
similar Catalogues shortly afterwards appeared, including — — 
