DEDICATED BY PERMISSION 



TO JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER, ESQ., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., 



OF THE ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 



NOW PUBLISHING, 



In Monthly Parts, Royal 8vo., Price Is., uniform with the "Natural History 

 of Ferns," with Four Coloured Illustrations, 



NATURAL HISTORY 



OF 



BKITISH GKASSES. 



E. J. LOWE, ESQ., F.R.A.S., F.G.S., F.L.S., M.B.M.S., 



Hon. Mem. Dub. Nat. Hist. Soc, Mem. Geolog. Soc. Edinb., 

 Corr. Mem. Manchester Lit. & Phil. Soc., etc. 



ADDRESS. 



The object of the Author in the present undertaking, is to present to the 

 public a history of the British Grasses published at such a price that it 

 may be within the reach of all who are anxious to study this interesting 

 and useful tribe of plants. 



The Grasses are not only interesting in a Botanical point of view, but 

 they are a study well deserving the close attention of agriculturists; indeed 

 a more intimate knowledge would be found of infinite benefit to the farmer. 

 It will therefore be one feature of the work to offer remarks on those species 

 that are profitable to the agriculturist. 



There have been many works published on our British Grasses, some of 

 which are now out of date, others too brief in their descriptions, and too 

 scientific for those who are not well up in Botany, and others too expensive 

 to be in general use amongst that class of readers which the present work 

 is written to benefit. 



British Grasses are of the utmost importance to mankind; amongst them 

 are Wheat, Barley, [Oats, and Rye, providing us with bread, beer, and 

 spirits; and to the Grasses we are also indebted for food for our cattle. 



Exotic Grasses are also both useful and interesting. "We have the Sugar- 

 cane, Bamboo, Rice, Lemon Grass, Pampas Grass, Tussac Grass, and a host 

 of other beautiful and valuable species; it is therefore the intention of the 

 Author to furnish as an additional feature, descriptions and figures of the 

 more curious and useful of our Foreign Grasses, which will form a supplement 

 to the Natural History of British Grasses. 



The Author will be much obliged for specimens, and information regarding 

 both the British and Exotic species. 



The great success of the "Natural History of British and Exotic Ferns," 

 leads the Author to suppose that the present work, (which will be published 

 uniformly with that book,) will be equally successful. 



LONDON: 

 GROOMBRIDGE AND SONS, 5, PATERNOSTER ROW. 



TO BE HAD OF ALL BOOK8ELLEB8. 



