178 Johnston* s Flora of BermicJc upon Tweed. 



tain, although he, perhaps, made the trial himself; for he avers 

 that the animal is very fleshy, nor just altogether nauseous 

 ( ''nee palato nimium ingratum"). Now, after this exposition, 

 we might, in our capacity of critics, charge Dr. Turton with 

 wilfully concealing the truth, and making partial extracts to 

 suit and prop up his argument; but this be far from us, for 

 we sincerely believe that the memory only is here to blame, 

 and at fault; and we have entered into the discussion to show 

 the doctor how easy a matter it is to get up heavy charges 

 against good and honourable men, such as he himself has 

 made against such men in the preface to his Dictionary^ and 

 in a manner which is scarcely excusable. 



Art. II. A Flora of Bertvick upon Tweed. By George John- 

 ston, M.D. &c. Vol. II. Cryptogamous Plants. 8vo, 330 pages, 

 and plates. Carfrae, Edinburgh; Longman, London; 183L 

 7s. 6d. 



We had the satisfaction of noticing the first volume of this 

 judicious and agreeable work in Vol. II. p. 234., containing 

 the phaenogamous plants growing around Berwick. The pre- 

 sent contains that miscellaneous assemblage of vegetation 

 which is usually comprehended under the term cryptoga- 

 mous ; or, which will be better understood by ordinary 

 readers, those plants which propagate themselves by myste- 

 rious methods. It is that residuary bit of vegetable nature 

 which is left after we have disposed of the more intelligible 

 portion. The different orders of it have no common charac- 

 ters, and they are grouped together chiefly on the ground 

 of convenience. A mushroom and a moss are distinguished, 

 easily enough by the most careless observer ; yet the ordinary 

 mode of classing them near each other is apt to mislead the 

 beginner, by his inferring that this contiguity in arrangement 

 points out a similarity of structure. No such inference must 

 be drawn ; but the student must study, if he would study use- 

 fully, each tribe separately, and as a distinct form of nature. 

 Having done this, he is at liberty to discover as many simi- 

 larities and analogies as he can find. Dr. Johnston has pur- 

 sued this course, and it is a discreet and safe one. We should 

 have preferred to have seen the Charae among the unknown 

 residue. 



We are pleased to have it in our power to add (what, by 

 the way, we seldom can do) an observation to the facts stated 

 by the author respecting the silex in the JE^quisetum hyemale, 

 commonly sold under the name of Dutch rushes, for the pur- 



