93 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
GRIFFITH, W., Esq.: Pazms or British East INDIA ; in continuation 
of the ‘Posthumous papers bequeathed to the Honourable the East India 
Company, and printed by order of the Government of Bengal.” Cal- 
cutta, folio, 1850: arranged by Jons M‘LezzanD, F.L.S., etc. 
We have here a further proof of the late Mr. Griffith’s untiring zeal 
in the cause of Botany, and no less of the liberal views of the Bengal 
Government in aiding the publication of these papers. The work now 
before us is a rather large folio of nearly 200 pages, accompanied by 
nearly 150 boldly executed outline plates. There are some elaborate 
analyses among the figures: but in this family of plants, the author 
appears to have swerved from his former views of the importance of 
minute analysis, when he says (p. viii., preface), “ Practically I am sa- 
tisfied that the great end of systematic science, determination or iden- 
tification, is much more easily attained by bold synthesis, than by 
minute analysis.” The MS., as upon former occasions, seems to be 
given almost entirely as it proceeded from the pen of the author, 
except that most of the Latin is translated, and published in the 
English dress. We lament again to see retained, and printed, some of 
the hostile and bitter feelings which have so much tended to injure the 
good fame of Mr. Griffith, and which the editor would have done well, 
both for his own credit and that of his friend, whom he has in other 
respects so praiseworthily served, to have consigned to oblivion. 
After the characters of the Order Palmacee, Mr. Griffith has the fol- 
lowing suborders :— | 
I. CALAMINEÆ.—1. Zalacca. 2. Sagus. 3. Calamosagus. 4. Cala- x 
mus. 65. Plectocomia, 6. Eugeissonia. 7. Mauritia. peu 
II. Corypninz.—1. Corypha. 2. Livistona. 3. Chamærops. 4. 
Licuala. ; 
HL ARECINÆ.—5. Areca. 2. Bentinckia. 3. Slackia. 4. Caryota. 
5. Arenga. 6. Harina (including Wallichia, previously adopted by 
Griffith, but not here even alluded to*).—A genus Macrocladus is 
* There is, indeed, at p.29, a description of “Calamosagus harinæfolius " and a 
figure of “ C. Wallichiafolius,” with the remark in a note, “ The species has been 
inadvertently named on the plate ‘ Wallichiefolius,’ under which name it was first 
described by the author, Cal. Journ. Nat. Hist. Both names occur indiscriminately 
in the MSS., and of the two we prefer Aarinafolius.” —Ep. 
