NOTICES OF BOOKS. 501 
L. fenellum, Cham. et Schl. in Linn. V. p. 234. 
Planta tota 6—8-pollicaris, gracilis. Folia ad extremum 5 lin. lata. 
Flores et fructus circiter magnitudine illorum L. cathartici. 
ied be Lena 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
“The British Desminiez,” by Joux Rarrs M.R.C.S., &e. 
The Drawings by EDWARD Jenner, A.L.S. London: Reeve, 
Benham, and Reeve. 1848. 
We can scarcely speak in too high terms of commendation of 
this charming book, which is a most valuable contribution to 
British Botany. Although the talented Author had previously, in 
various papers, read at the meetings of the Edinburgh Botanical 
Society, and subsequently published in the Annals of Natural .— 
History, made us acquainted with many of the interesting species 
figured in the present Work, still the numerous forms, now for 
the first time described, testify to the value of this addition to 
Botanical literature. The Naturalist in taking up the volume - 
will recognise many species which have been figured and described 
as infusory animalcules by Dr. Ehrenberg, in his splendid work 
“Die Infusionthierchen,” but he will find the question as to their 
Animal or Vegetable nature well treated in the introductory 
pages of the present volume ;—the opinions of those who have 
written on the subject in a philosophic manner are here brought 
fairly before the reader, and the author has succeeded, we think, 
in establishing satisfactorily the claim of these beautiful structures 
to a place in the vegetable kingdom. 
To the physiologist the facts brought forward with reference to 
the growth and multiplication of cells, are of the highest interest. 
The author has clearly shewn that each separate frond of the 
Desmidiee is a single vegetable cell, and he has described the ap- 
parent changes taking place in this during the growth of the 
Species, in a very excellent manner :—“ In the Desmidice the 
multiplication of the cells by repeated transverse divisions is full 
3N2 l 
