BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 297 
PLANTARUM VascULARUM GENERA eorumque Characteres 
et Affinitates tabulis diagnosticis exposita et secundum or- 
dines naturales digesta ; auctore C. F. Meisner, M.D.— 
Accedit CounwENTARA1US exhibens preter adnotationes atque 
explicationes varias Generum synonyma et indicationem li- 
brorum in quibus descriptiones fusiores iconesque necnon 
specierum novarum diagnoses etc. inveniuntur. 1 vol. fol. 
Basle. 
This excellent book, which was commenced in 1836,is now 
finished, and the botanical world is greatly indebted to its 
talented author for having arranged all the known genera 
according to their natural affinities, in a tabular form, similar 
to what hasbeen done by Mr. Brown on Asclepiadee, by Adr. 
de Jussieu on Ztufacez, and Martius on Amaranthacee. The 
above title amply explains the nature of the work, and the 
various parts have been so long and justly estimated by 
the publie, that it needs no further commendations on our 
part. But we heartily congratulate the author on his having 
brought this valuable and laborious task to a conclusion. 
The remarks in the * Commentarius" are peculiarly im- 
portant. 
Verhandelingen over de NATURLIJKE GESCHIEDENIS DER 
NEDERLANDscHE overzeesche bezittingen, door de Leden 
der Naturkundige commissie in oost-Indié en andere schrij- 
vers. Boranic; by P. W. Kortuats, fol. 70 coloured 
plates, 
This beautiful work, being mostly in Dutch, the historical 
Part of it is, we regret to say, very much a sealed book to 
us: but the generic and specific distinctions and sometimes 
the descriptions are in Latin, and the plates are so beautiful 
and Satisfactory as fully to explain themselves as to structural 
characters. It would seem to be the dotanical portion of a 
work on the Natural History of the Dutch East Indian pos- 
VOL, III. Z 
