Bibliographical Notices. 141 



A Popular History of British Ferns and the allied Plants. By 

 T. Moore, F.L.S. &c. London, 1851 : Reeve and Benham. 



As this elegant little work professes to be wholly of a popular cha- 

 racter, it does not require much notice in our Journal ; we cannot, 

 however, pass it over without a few remarks. 



Owing to its objects, the technical characters of the genera and 

 species do not hold at all a prominent place in the book, but both 

 are shortly given. Its most characteristic feature is found in the beau- 

 tiful coloured plates, from the pencil of Mr. Fitch, the celebrated 

 botanical artist, which seem to be all that can be desired as popular 

 representations of the species, nearly all of which are figured. The 

 mode of cultivating the species, so as to afford interesting objects, is 

 also wisely made a subject of especial attention, and, as far as we can 

 judge, such directions are given as to render success nearly certain. 

 Attention is more especially turned to the growth of ferns in closed 

 glass cases, on the plan recommended by Mr. N. B. Ward. 



On the whole, we can recommend the book to those who are 

 ignorant of scientific botany, and yet, as is now not unfrequently the 

 case, admire and desire to grow ferns. We must however remark, 

 that the descriptions, and indeed sometimes other parts of the book, 

 are rather too technical in their language for the class of readers to 

 which it is addressed. In books like this, which do not claim a 

 scientific character, we could wish to see English words used, 

 wherever such can be found, which will convey the meaning with 

 sufficient accuracy, rather than the English forms of the botanical 

 Latin terms. Of course, this is often nearly impossible ; but still 

 the cases are not a few in which it might be done. We think also 

 that the author shows an inclination towards the use of those English 

 words which are derived from the Latin, rather than such as are of 

 Saxon origin ; this, in a work intended " especially for the young," 

 is a defect, since words of the latter kind are far more easily under- 

 stood by them and all other partially educated persons. 



At the close of the book there is a very valuable tabular statement 

 of the counties of the United Kingdom in which the several species 

 have been observed to be native, and in many cases the exact places 

 are stated. This is the more interesting, as we do not as yet possess 

 any account of the geographical distribution of Ferns which is even 

 nearly so complete. It is to be hoped, however, that the present 

 year will not conclude without the publication of the third volume 

 of Mr. Watson's valuable * Cybele Britannica,' in which it is probable 

 that the Ferns will be included. We are glad to be able to state that 

 it is already in the press. 



