Murray's Northern Flora. 653 



hitherto almost neglected by the explorers of the land ; and, 

 consequently, its productions were unknown. The Northern 

 Flora will abundantly corroborate this statement. 



The tract of country investigated by Dr. Murray includes 

 the greater part of the far-famed Grampian Mountains ; viz. 

 east of Dunkeld and Blair of Athol ; the shores of the Ger- 

 man Ocean, from the Basin of Montrose to the Moray 

 Frith; the extensive and fertile plains of Buchan and Moray; 

 the rich vales of Garioch, Alford, and Cromar; the Straths 

 of Don and Dee ; the mountainous counties of Inverness and 

 Sutherland ; altogether extending 200 miles in length, and 

 100 in breadth; containing the highest ground, and the 

 greatest variety of temperature, to be found in the island ; 

 and yielding to none in the rarity of its vegetable pro- 

 ductions. 



The first part of this work, comprehending the first, 

 second, third, fourth, and half of the fifth class (Linnaean 

 arrangement), is just published. From Dr. Murray's well- 

 known diligence as a collector, his excellent discrimination, 

 skill in practical botany, and attachment to the science, great 

 hopes were entertained that the flora of the north would be 

 creditable to its author. His residence for some years among 

 the hills of Forbes, . Kildrummy, Strathdon, and Corgarf; 

 and the facilities for collecting and observing plants in their 

 native places, afforded by an extensive professional practice ; 

 are opportunities rarely equalled, never surpassed. 



That these advantages have been well applied, this excel- 

 lent work is a proof; for, among all the local floras of this 

 country (and they are mostly of a superior order), the 

 Northern Flora may challenge, and will certainly gain, the 

 preeminence ; for there is no doubt that the subsequent parts 

 will maintain, if not exceed, the high character of their pre- 

 decessor. The generic and specific descriptions are not 

 copied from other works, but are really descriptions of the 

 plants in question, and were written while the subjects were 

 under the author's inspection. Their originality is not their 

 greatest merit: they are divested of technicalities as far as 

 possible ; and are neither wearisome, tediously long, nor 

 unsatisfactorily brief. One of the meritorious features in 

 which this flora differs from every similar work (at least, in 

 this country), whether local or general, is, the observations 

 which accompany every genus, or group of species in a 

 genus which are nearly akin. For example, the genus 

 Potamogeton is separated into three groups. The first 

 group contains three species, known from the others by 

 their floating leaves. The second is distinguished from the 



