Notices and Analyses* 73 



country. In the Fungi, the authors appear to have followed the 

 system of Brongniart, which is unquestionably the most philosophicaL 

 To this tribe, indeed, much attention has been paid : in the genu« 

 Agaricus, 401 species, and in the Sphceria, upwards of 300, ^re 

 described. The work is in Latin, and contains a complete Clayis 

 Analytica of all the orders and genera in the two parts, forming an 

 appendix of fifty-eight pages. We recommend this work to every 

 botanist in our own country, particularly to every cryptogamist, as 

 most of the species may be supposed common to both France and 

 Great Britain. 



Synoptical Table of British Organic Remains. By Samuel 

 Woodward. 8vo. Pp. 50. with one plate. London, 1830. 



The object of the author, in the publication of this little treatise, is to 

 give an enumeration of all the species of animals or vegetables, the 

 remains of which have been found in the strata of the British Isles. 

 The intimations are distributed under four heads : — 1. Class, family, 

 genus, and species. 2. Reference. 3. Strata. 4. Localities. We 

 regret that his mode of grouping the strata is so little influenced by 

 zoological considerations, and that he has confined his references 

 under each species to one author. By the latter practice, he has 

 frequently overlooked priority of discovery, and suffered himself to 

 attach more importance to a coloured figure than to accurate nomen- 

 clature. As an abridged view of the state of geology in reference to 

 a knowledge of our extraneous fossils, the work will prove useful to 

 the student ; and we trust that its author will continue to devote his 

 attention to the subject. 



Observations on Fossil Vegetables, accompanied by representa- 

 tions of their internal structure, as seen through the microscope. 

 By Henry With am, Esq. of Lartington, Fellow of the Geological 

 Society of London, &c. &c. Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1831. 4to. 

 with six plates. 



It is only when works of this kind fall under our attention that we have 

 to regret the restriction placed upon our remarks, by the narrow 

 limits afforded in our plan of Analyses. We may, however, concentrate 

 our opinion in the single expression, that this volume reflects the 

 highest credit, both upon Mr Witham, the author, and Mr Macgil- 

 livray, the illustrator. The subject of the work will be sufficiently 

 gathered from the title. The engravings, from drawings by Mr 

 Macgillivray, are gems, and display all that minute accuracy which 

 so eminently distinguishes the productions of his pencil. Of the 

 method of prosecuting the examination of the internal structure of 

 fossil plants, an account will be found in our Geological Collections. 

 A new field is thus opened for the discrimination of fossil vegetables ; 

 and it cannot fail to reward the labour of the inquirer. As to tli€ 

 execution of the work, we must say, that its sterling merits can only 

 be appreciated by a studied inspection, and cannot be increased by 

 any remarks of ours. In the text will be found incorporated, two 

 previous papers of the author, on vegetable organic remains, a subject 

 which he has studied with great success. Geologists have to offer 

 to Mr Witham their acknowledgments for the treat he has afforded 

 them. 

 VOL. III. K 



