Bibliographical Notices . 1 25 



of erect or pendulous spikes is retained, and C. glauca, though inti- 

 mately allied to C. panicea, is banished to a distance ; nor should 

 C. strigosa and C. pendula have been separated from C. sylvatica 

 and C. Pseudocyperus, to which it might be well to add C. Icevigata and 

 C. depauperata. Objections will doubtless be made to C. CEderi 

 being restored to specific rank, and perhaps rightly : but then they 

 must not be founded on ordinary small or condensed specimens of 

 C. Jlava, which are evidently by no means what Mr. Babington has 

 in view. Some confusion may arise from several changes of nomen- 

 clature ; yet they appear unavoidable, and it is quite time for British 

 botanists to cease to ascribe oracular authority to the Linneean Her- 

 barium. Lastrcea uliginosa (Newm.) is retained as a variety of L. 

 cristata, but Mr. Babington is "very imperfectly acquainted" with 

 it : is any one otherwise ? Cystopteris dentata is again separated so 

 far as the plants from the " Breadalbane Mountains and Cumberland" 

 are concerned : they must therefore differ from the common dentate 

 variety of C- fragilis of Wales and Teesdale. The account of the 

 Charce is a brief summary of the provisional monograph given in our 

 pages a year and a half ago : it is to be hoped that the neglect with 

 which they have hitherto been treated may now exist no longer. 



This sketch gives a very imperfect idea of the volume : but, after 

 all, it is in the field that the excellences of a Manual can best be tested. 

 Still let no one suppose that all is done which requires to be done : 

 even in the most familiar genera there is work for every one for some 

 years to come : we know very little, for instance, of the different modes 

 of growth collectively called "perennial " in the different species, and 

 the imitation of them in annuals, particularly with reference to the 

 relation of the vegetative and reproductive systems. But we are 

 favourably placed at present for the progressive study of plants : the 

 differences, which a few years back made wide schisms among British 

 botanists, have latterly been greatly reduced ; and if the reproach, 

 that \ it is our custom to study exotics, but dogmatize on native plants/ 

 has not altogether passed away, its just application is at least much 

 narrowed. 



We subjoin lists of the species introduced and suppressed in Mr. 

 Babington' s present edition. 



Species Introduced. 



Thalictrum flexuosum, R. Rubus imbricatus, Hort. 



saxatile, D.C. incurvatus, Bab. 



Ranunculus confusus, Godr. thyrsoideus, Wimm. 



tripartitus, D. C. mucronatus, Blox. 



Thlaspi virens, Jord. ■ calvatus, Blox. 



Viola stagnina, Kit. fuscus, Weihe. 



Sagina ciliata, Fr. Hystrix, Weihe. 



Medicago sylvestris, Fr. pallidus, Weihe. 



Melilotus arvensis, Willd. pyramidalis, Bab. 



Poterium muricatum, Spach. scaber, Weihe. 



Rubus Leesii, Bab. Pyrus scandica (Sorbus, Fr.). 



fissus, Lindl. Epilobium lanceolatum, Seb. 8f 



affinis, W. et N. Mauri. 



latifolius, n. sp. Saxifraga Andrewsii, Harv. 



