502 Mackay's Flora Hibernica* 



Mackay, J. T., M.R.I.A., A.L.S., &c. ; Dr. Taylor, and 

 Harvey, W. H. : Flora Hibernica ; comprising the Flower- 

 ing Plants, Characeae, Musci, Hepaticae, Lichenes, and 

 Algae of Ireland ; arranged according to the Natural System; 

 with a Synopsis of the Genera, devised according to the 

 Linnasan System. 8vo, upwards of 650 pages. Dublin, 

 London, and Edinburgh, 1836. 165. 



won 



The work may be designated as a description of the ex- 

 terior anatomical characteristics of the species of plants that 

 have been found wild in Ireland, and a statement of the 

 places, and kinds of places, in which they have been found. 

 It is consistent with this view of the work's character to esti- 

 mate its measure of merit on the four points, of the degree of 

 numerousness of the species described, the manner in which 

 they are described, the number of the localities pointed out, 

 and the degree of faithfulness in which they are pointed out ; 

 and, the work thus estimated, there are good grounds for 

 deeming it an able and a valuable one. 



Mr. Mackay has " been induced to adopt the natural 

 system" of arrangement, " not only because it is the method 

 followed by Dr. Allman, the learned Professor of Botany in 

 Trinity College," Dublin, but because it " is best calculated 

 to give the student an accurate knowledge of" botany ; " but," 

 Mr. Mackay has continued, " as the Linnaean method en- 

 ables us to ascertain the genus of a plant with greater facility, 

 a synopsis of the genera [disposedj according to that system 

 [and these characterised] has, therefore, been prefixed." It 

 " is hoped " that, the work, hence, combines " to a consi- 

 derable extent the advantages of both methods." 



The device cited seems an able and serviceable one : ser- 

 viceable, should it only answer the end of contributing to 

 familiarise the student to the power and use of contradistinc- 

 tive categories. Perhaps the characters of the genera in this 

 part may be yet somewhat improved. There does not appear 

 to be a synopsis of the genera of the Ferns, and of the cha- 

 racteristics of them. 



" The second, and not least valuable, part of the work con- 

 tains the orders Musci, Hepaticae, and Lichenes, by Dr. 

 Taylor," well known as the coadjutor of Hooker in the pro- 

 duction of " the Muscologia Britannica," and " who, of all 

 the botanists of Ireland, was best qualified for the task. 

 It will be seen that he has added a new genus, Hygrophila 

 [irrigua; synonyme, Marchantza irrigua Wilson, Hook. Eng. 

 Flora, vol. v. parti, p. 106.], in the order Hepaticae; and 

 in the order Lichenes, a good many hitherto undescribed 

 species." 



