Natural-Philosophical Collections. 387 



rectified the position of a considerable number of stars, which are incorrectly in- 

 dicated in the above'mentioned catalogues. 



Immediately after M. Ingherami comes M. Harding, to whom the Academy 

 has entrusted the 15th hour. But his map contains only 3000 stars. This is 

 surprising, as M. Harding, who has already published an atlas, must have had 

 more experience than M. Ingherami. 



We are as yet ignorant of the number of stars which the astronomers who 

 have undertaken the other 22 hours, have observed. But the comparison which 

 we have established between the two maps which contain the 15th and the 18th 

 hours, leads us to hope that the astronomer of Florence will be as much admired 

 for the importance of his investigation, as for the expedition with which he has 

 performed it. — Bulletin des Sciences Math. 



CATALOGUE RAISONNE. 



Botanical Commentaries. By Jonathan Stokes, M.D. Vol. I. 

 8vo. London. Simpkin & Marshall. 



This is a very singular production ; for though we have a " preface," " an 

 explanation of botanical terms," " abbreviations explained, names of 

 gardens, and persons, and titles of books," and " a translation of the 

 German preface to the Supplement to Willdenow's Enumeratio," alto- 

 gether occupying 160 pages of introductory matter, we have not a single 

 word about the nature or object of the work, nor whether it will extend 

 to two or to twenty volumes. There is also a coxcombical affectation in 

 the orthography, which is not likely to conciliate public favour, and can 

 only be compared with the ridiculous innovations attempted to be in- 

 troduced by Mitford in his History of Greece. Dr. Stokes has a vehe- 

 ment antipathy to elision, and writes " markd," " examind," " elapsd," 

 " Bankss library," &c. We also observe such words as the following : 

 activ, productiv, maritim, opposit, temperat, skil, envellop, &c. But 

 the doctor is not consistent ; for we find " climat" and " climate" in the 

 same page, and " solved" and " solvd" within a few lines of each other. 



We mignt, however, bring ourselves to forgive the author for his violation 

 of the proprieties of composition, if we could discover a redeeming qua- 

 lity in the matter of his book ; but, as we observed before, we cannot 

 find out what it is about. The bulk of the work consists of minute de- 

 scriptions of plants, arranged according to the Linnasan method, with 

 an extended, and, in our opinion, often very useless synonymy. We 

 are not made acquainted with the principle by which the author has 

 been guided in his selection, — why one plant has been admitted, another 

 reiected. The work is therefore, as to its application, next to useless. 

 The preface is a sort of olla podrida, and ought to have been called a 

 fragment : it has a first sentence, but, logically speaking, no beginning. 

 Here it is : " ' The sciences thus extended exceed,' says a celebrated 

 mathematician, ' the faculties of an individual.' " The author laments 

 that we have not yet been informed how lichens, sertulariae, and corals 

 grow, — suggests experiments for ascertaining the nature of species and 

 varieties, — gives directions for the drying of botanical specimens, — and 

 for rendering cloth water-proof. Then we are exhorted to sleep between 

 the blankets when the sheets are damp, and not to travel in the dark 

 when precipices endanger our necks. As collections of art and natural 

 history are in danger of destruction by fire, he " cannot help expressing 

 a wish that the proprietors of solitary houses containing collections of 

 books, coins, statues, or paintings, should be compelled by act of parlia- 

 ment to hold in readiness the means of extinguishing fires." Some phi- 

 lanthropist would next procure an act of parliament to " compel" men 

 and women to make periodical afiidavits of the state of their health to 

 the proper authorities, or to " compel" them to wear flannel for the be- 

 nefit of their constitution, and the great joy of all patriotic Welshmen. 



