288 NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
by Dr. Wright, and other Texan and New-Mexican travellers, with syno- 
nyms and remarks, and essential characters, and descriptions of the 
many new genera and species, together with beautiful figures of twelve 
of the most remarkable of them from the pencil of Mr. Sprague. Mr. 
Charles Wright left Galveston for San Antonio in the spring of 1849, 
and there joined the United States army, which he accompanied to El Paso 
in southern New Mexico, as an amateur man of science, for the purpose 
of investigating the Natural History, especially the Botany, of that pre- 
viously untrodden region. The journey from San Antonio occupied 
three months, and nearly the whole of September was spent in exploring 
the interesting neighbourhood of El Paso. He returned to San An- 
tonio in November, having added many new plants to his collection, 
which had occupied his notice on the outward journey, as well as a 
large collection of seeds and of living Cactaceous plants. Specimens 
of the latter were placed in Dr. Engelmann’s hands for examination. 
The seeds were divided between the Botanic Garden of Harvard Uni- 
versity, U.S.A., and the Royal Gardens of Kew. 
The entire collection, Dr. Gray observes in his preface, will give a 
good idea of the vegetation, and consequently of the climate, general 
character, and capabilities, of the region traversed. The learned 
author has appended notices and characters of plants gathered by other 
collectors in adjacent regions, especially by Dr. Wislizenius in the 
valley of the Rio Grande and in Chihuahua, and by the indefatigable 
Dr. Gregg (since dead) in the same district and in the northern pro- 
vinces of Mexico, chiefly from materials furnished by Dr. Engelmann. 
The first part now published extends to 146 large quarto pages, and 
includes the orders (following De Candolle’s arrangement) to the end 
of Composite. The new plants figured are Greggia camporum (Cruci- 
feræ), Wislizenia refracta, Engelm. (Capparideæ), Zalinopsis frutescens 
(Portulacaceæ), Amoreuxia Scheidiana, Planch. (Cochlospermeæ), Mor- 
tonia sempervirens (Celastrineæ), Fendlera rupicola (a new genus, con- 
firming the author’s previously expressed views, that Philadelphus 
should be united with Sazjfragacez), Sontwellia Flaverie, Thymiphylla 
Greggü, Nicolletia Edwardsii, Laphamia halamifolia, L. rupestris, and 
Zinnia anomala (the last six all Composite). The Wrightian species in 
the catalogue here given amount to 418. We say much when we add 
that the work is worthy of its excellent author. 
