Literary Notices, 241 



plants : still, the intermediate varieties which he finds, throw some doubts 

 on the permanency of his distinctions. Sir James Smith regards the 

 O. arachnites of Kent, and fuscifera, as furnishing good specific charac- 

 ters, and as being identical with the foreign specimens bearing those names. 

 Whether it really be so may still be doubtful ; but, in so interesting a tribe 

 as the insectiferous Orchideae, even the ordinary observer will be grateful 

 to him for his laboured observations. 



Another discovery of this " fine-nosed herbalist," as Wordsworth would 

 call him, is Orobanche caryophyllacea of Sir James Smith, which was sup- 

 posed to be confined to the Apennines and Siberia. It is allied to O. major, 

 but is, no doubt, a better species than some others of this intricate genus. 



The trefoils and medicks have attracted the author's particular attention ; 

 and he adds the Medicago denticulata Willd. to our native list. His wood- 

 cut of the spines of the legume of several species, though an after-thought, 

 deserves attention. 



Ray's plant, Z/imonium minus, the author elevates to the rank of a spe- 

 cies under the name of ^tatice cordata, in which he seems to be fully war- 

 ranted by the practice of modern botanists. He also directs attention to a 

 remarkable variety of Lathrae^a squanjaria, which, he thinks, may prove 

 distinct. 



The observations on the mode of impregnation in Ruppia maritima de- 

 serve to be repeated by one so favourably situated for the purpose as Mr. 

 Gerard Smith is. He does not agree with Dr. Hooker's theory that the 

 impregnation takes place beneath the water, and within the sheath of the 

 leaves, before the flower-stalks are elongated, but thinks that Sir J. Smith 

 abandoned his own opinion, and adopted that of Dr. Hooker, too hastily. 



If we were disposed to find fault with an author who really has shown 

 great acuteness and quickness of observation, we might, perhaps, remark that 

 he appears to be too ready to adopt species, which, unless they be well esta- 

 blished, are the bane of science. He might also be censured for being occa- 

 sionally too sentimental and pictorial in his composition, when treating of 

 trivial matters ; a fault, alas ! which time will correct soon enough, and 

 which we willingly screen, and think abundantly redeemed by the ardour of 

 which it is characteristic. — CC/* 



Art. III. Literary Notices. 



The Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society delineated ; 

 being Descriptions and Figures in Illustration of the Natural History of 

 living Animals in the Society's Collections. Published, with the Sanction 

 of the Council, under the Superintendence of the Secretary and Vice- 

 Secretary of the Society. This work will appear in 8vo parts, monthly. 

 " At the request of the Council, the Secretary of the Society, N. A. Vigors, 

 Esq., has in the kindest manner consented to charge himself with the task 

 of superintending the execution of every department of the work. The 

 descriptions and anecdotes in illustration of the natural history of the ani- 

 mals represented will be furnished by E.T. Bennett, Esq., the Vice-Secretary. 

 The whole of the drawings will be made by Mr. William Harvey, who 

 has already given so many proofs of his talent in this department of his 

 art ; and the engravers, Messrs. Branston and Wright, will exert their 

 utmost skill to do justice to the efforts of his pencil.'* 



We have seen a specimen of the first part, than which, in the way of 

 engravings on wood, we have seen nothing superior. 



Agenda Geognosiica. — The veteran mineralogist, Leonhard, is about to 

 publish Agenda Geognosiica, or a Manual for Travellers in Mountainous 

 Districts. 



