Biblioyraphical Notices. 355 



of according to the Linnsean system, as was formerly the case. After 

 a careful examination and comparison we do not find that much if 

 any alteration of consequence has been made in the description of 

 the orders, genera, or species. Indeed, even the notes appended to 

 the species in most cases continue to be identically the same, and 

 not the least attention has been paid to the observations upon some 

 of them which have appeared in the * Transactions of the Botanical 

 Society,' the ' Phytologist,' and in this Journal. In short, with the 

 exception of the introduction of a. few newly-discovered species, the 

 work may be considered as a differently arranged reprint of the 

 fourth edition. Plates illustrative of the Composite and Ferns have 

 been added. 



If we had not believed that Sir W. J. Hooker never hoped for, 

 or expected to obtain, any increase of reputation by his ' British 

 Flora,' we should have felt surprise at finding him boldly, and with- 

 out note or comment (except perhaps a reference to Steudel's ' No- 

 menclator' ! !), combining species distinguished by some of the first 

 botanists of Europe, such as Fries and Koch, whose opinions upon 

 European plants we certainly consider of far higher value than that 

 of the author of the ' British Flora :' although, when the species of 

 other countries are concerned, we think that no name (Robert 

 Brown's excepted) stands so deservedly high as that of Hooker. 

 The ' Edinburgh Catalogue of Plants' is constantly referred to, and 

 as it has been considered deserving of so much attention, it seems 

 wonderful that (apparently) no application should have been made 

 to its compilers for information concerning numerous species con- 

 tained in it, upon whose claims to be considered natives of Britain 

 the author states that he is ignorant. 



We have much doubt if the change from the Linnsean to the Na- 

 tural arrangement, although highly satisfactory to us, will tend to 

 promote the sale of the work, and we fear that it will bring into 

 more extensive use a modern but old-fashioned Linnsean flora which 

 has already done considerable injury, from leading its readers back 

 to the ideas of botanical structure that were prevalent fifteen or 

 twenty years since. 



We are sorry to see several misprints of considerable consequence 

 still retained in this edition, such as the following, which, as they af- 

 fect the sense, we notice for the convenience of our readers : — 

 Page 41, line 26, read seeds sixteen pendulous, omitting in each cell. 



— 282, — 14, — fruit longer than the perianth. 



— 284, — 12, — spikes lax, filiform, usually erect. 



— 284, — 45, — lower ones not cordate. 



— 356, — 48, — black capsules. 



An Account of Askern and its Mineral Springs, together with a Sketch 

 of the Natural History of the neighbourhood. By E. Lankester, 

 M.D., F.L.S., &c, &c. London, 1842. 



In addition to a valuable account of the mineral waters of Askern' 

 near Doncaster, the author has given an interesting description of 

 the geology, and a sketch of the botany and zoology of that neigh- 



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