53 



REVIEWS OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



The New Botanist's Guide to the Localities of the Rarer Plants of Great 

 Britain. By Hewett Cotirell Watson. Vol. II. Scotland and adjacent 

 Isles. London: Longman Sf Co. 1837. pp. xxiv., 278. 12mo. 



Nearly eighteen months, observes Mr. Watson, have elapsed since the pub- 

 lication of his first volume. The present volume is similar in character to its 

 predecessor, being in fact a continuation and conclusion of the work, the objects 

 of which we may briefly explain. Its aim is to furnish a catalogue of the rarer 

 British plants, either from the author's own observation, from that of such friends 

 as he can trust for accuracy, or from the best published works and catalogues. 

 A separate chapter is dedicated to each county, with the particular locality or 

 localities in which each species has occurred, and occasional notes and observa- 

 tions. 



This second volume, as its title imports, treats of the botanical riches of Scot- 

 land; but in a Supplement various additions are made to the Flora of England 

 and Wales, each plant, as above, being followed by the locality, and the autho- 

 rity on which it is inserted. 



So far as we have examined the work it is correctly printed ; and, aware as 

 we are of the author's zeal and knowledge of the subject, it is to us no matter of 

 surprise that he has performed his task in the most satisfactory manner. 



Having given some account of the object of the work, and an opinion as to its ex- 

 ecution, we will conclude with a few words on the preface. It will be in the memory 

 of most of our botanical readers that, simultaneously with the first volume of the 

 New Botanists Guide, appeared Mr. Watson's Remarks on the Geographical 

 Distribution of British Plants, a separate work, but obviously intimately related 

 to the former. Mr. W.'s reviewer in The Athenceum professed himself at a loss 

 to perceive the cui bono of these Remarks. Now as a general rule we would not 

 recommend authors to reply to any reviews of their books in periodicals, espe- 

 cially as the reviewer and the public generally care very little about the matter, 

 and as authors are apt to be much more touchy and tender respecting their li- 

 terary bantlings than an impartial judge would be. In the present case, however, 

 a principle, and not the mere feelings of an author, was touched upon, and the 

 discussion is, therefore, not only allowable, but may prove salutary. We can 

 scarcely conceive a more interesting or useful department of Botany than the 

 distribution of plants. The fabrication of systems may be very amusing to their 

 framers, and may prove useful to the student of Botany as an abstract study, 

 but investigations relative to the distribution of plants, properly considered, must 

 lead to results of a more practically beneficial nature to mankind, and to the 



