7i Don^s comjylete Sj/ste?n of Botany and Gardening, 



of putting his book to press; even the essence of our correspondent Mr. 

 Parson's communication on the Visual Organs of Insects {Mag. Nat, 

 Hist, vol.iv. p. 124. 220. 363.) is not omitted.-— J. D, 



Sir, At p. 49. of Insect MiscellaiiieSy Mr. Rennie has expressed great 

 doubt of the truth of Mr. Ruber's declaration, that the humble bee, not 

 being able easily to obtain access to the honey reservoir of many flowers, 

 "drills an aperture at the base of the tube, through which it insinuates its 

 sucker." To obviate Mr. Rennie's scepticism, I beg to say, I have myself 

 seen both the humble and the hive bee gnaw a hole at the base of the 

 flower of the greater snapdragon (/Antirrhinum majus), and the common 

 white jasmine (e/asminum officinale), for the purpose of obtaining the 

 honey, and after repeated observation I have never been able to see them 

 enter the flowers of the greater snapdragon at the mouth, as expressed 

 by the figure in p. 49. [For other corollas perforated by bees, see p. 86.] 

 I am. Sir, &c. — Charles C. Babington, B.A. F.L.S, St. John's College, 

 Cambridge, Oct, 18. 1831. 



Douy George, F.L.S. : A general System of Gardening and Botany; con- 

 taining a complete Enumeration of all Plants hitherto known ; with 

 their Generic and Specific Characters, Places of Growth, Time of 

 Flowering, Mode of Culture, and their Uses in Medicine and Domestic 

 Economy. Preceded by Introductions to the Linnsean and Natural 

 Systems, and a Glossary of the Terms used. Founded upon Miller's 

 Gardener's Dictionary, and arranged according to the Natural System. 

 In 4 vols. Vol. I. 4to. London, 1831. 3/. 12*. 



Deserves notice in this Magazine as a work on botany, which it is more 

 properly than a work on gardening. Its object is to describe in the order 

 of the natural system all the plants at present known in the world ; to 

 notice whatever properties useful to the purposes of life any species or 

 genus may possess ; and to supply directions under every family for its 

 successful culture and propagation. 



The appearance of this book forms an epoch in the progress of botanical 

 knowledge in Britain ; for it cannot fail most sensibly to impel, and promote 

 that knowledge among us ; and would have produced this effect still more 

 extensively could it have been sold cheaper. The work is one which has 

 been long wanted in Britain. So many plants, and specimens of plants, 

 have been gathered together from all parts of the world about us, that at 

 every turn we are reminded of our ignorance, and have our wishes excited 

 to know something about these lovely beings. To gratify these wishes has 

 been, however, to a great extent impracticable, save to those rich enough to 

 buy, and learned enough to read, the hundreds of detached and depart- 

 mental volumes, in which these plants were respectively treated of. The 

 expense of very many of_these books, and the difficulty of reading them, 

 are both dispensed with by a comprehensive work like the present, and this 

 work written in English. To the botanist who is already rich in books and 

 botanical knowledge it will be very valuable ; for the introduction informs 

 us, that, " when finished, it will be found to be the most complete system of 

 plants yet published ; comprehending, besides all the genera and species 

 which have been published up to the present time, descriptions of numerous 

 plants never before published, and derived chiefly from the Lambertian 

 Herbarium. The characters of all the genera and species are derived either 

 from the plants themselves, or from the original authorities where authentic 

 specimens could not be procured." To those already initiated in system- 

 atic botany, but who only understand the English language, the work will 

 be inestimably valuable; and for those who wish now to take up the study, 

 brief introductions to the Linnaean and natural systems, and a copious 

 glossary, are given : it is, however, not the most eligible of works for real 

 novices in botany. — J. D. 



