890 New Puhlications. 



the north of Scotland, properly so called, has in a great measure 

 been unexplored, or at least its treasures have remained unpublish- 

 ed. The present work is intended to supply the deficiency. In his 

 airangement Dr Murray has not adopted the Natural Orders, but 

 has followed the Linnaean System. This first part proceeds as far 

 as Cuscuta in Pentandria Digynia, (this genus, however, being, by 

 mistake, apparently included in the order Monogynia), but does not 

 embrace any of the Umbelliferae. In his descriptions of species, Dr 

 Murray has deviated widely from the Linnaean canon. He does not 

 first give the decidedly specific characters in a certain number of 

 words, and then a detailed description in a separate paragraph ; but 

 he combines the characters requisite for distinguishing one species 

 from another, with any other points deemed useful or interesting. 

 If this plan detract from the rank of the publication as a strictly 

 botanical work, it will perhaps render it more popular. The num- 

 ber of rare alpine species described by Dr Murray, even in this 

 portion of his labours, will surprise and delight the lowland bota- 

 nist. He will here learn, that amid the Clova Mountains of Angus, 

 he may, in the course of one summer day, fill his vasculum with 

 such plants as Veronica alpina, Saxifraga rivularis, Gentiana nivalis, 

 Alopecurus alpinus and Phleum alpinum. In the extreme north, 

 again, almost at John O' Groat's, he may pick the Pinguicula alpina 

 and Primula Scotica. Regarding this last, we may remark, that it was 

 first brought to Edinburgh from the Orkney Islands by Dr Neill in 

 1806, as an insular variety of Primula farinosa; but, on being culti- 

 vated by Mr Don, at the Botanic Garden, was pronounced by that 

 acute botanist to be specifically distinct. Dr Murray most jttstly 

 bears testimony to the " discoveries of Mr Don having been lately 

 confirmed and extended ;*' and we regret, therefore, that he should 

 have seemed to throw the slightest doubt on the fact of Hierochloe 

 borealis (Holcus odoratus, Lin.) being a native of Forfarshire, by 

 using the expression, " said to have been found there by Mr Don." 

 The far more showy and more easily observed plants, Sonchus coe- 

 ruleus and Lychnis alpina, originally discovered by Mr Don, long 

 baffled the search of more recent herborizers, but were at length 

 found in plenty by Dr Graham and his students. There seems no 

 reason to doubt, therefore, that though the less conspicuous holy- 

 grass has hitherto eluded the keen eyes of the Professor of Botany, 

 and his zealous pupils, it, too, will one day repay their indefatigable 

 toils in some " narrow mountain valley," — the habitat assigned to it 

 by Mr Don. And which " narrow" as it may sound at the fire-side, 



