THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS. 443 
families of plants, to notice the soil or rock formation in which they exist, the atmo- 
spherical phenomena by which they are surrounded, and the animal forms with which 
they are associated.” 
“A further advantage attending such an arrangement,” it was stated, ‘“ would be 
the facilities afforded for comparison with the Flora and other productions of countries 
which approximate in climate, though widely differing in geographical position, while 
the properties and applications of the more useful plants might be indicated. Frequent 
opportunities will thus also occur, both of pointing out what useful or ornamental plants 
might be introduced from India into Europe, or conversely what success would be 
likely to attend the cultivation in India of the more useful plants of other countries.” 
These objects have not been accomplished without the sacrifice of much time and 
labour, as not only did each individual plant require to be separately examined, and 
often afterwards to be compared with similar species in the collections of the metro- 
polis, but the different subjects and applications pointed out in each family of plants, 
required to be investigated not only in separate publications, but in such as treated 
of very different branches of science. To those unacquainted with such subjects, the 
produce will hardly appear equivalent to the labour bestowed on it, as the results only 
being given, the investigations which have been gone through do not appear; but 
it may be mentioned, that the present work is the first published, in which the entire 
Indian Flora is arranged according to the Natural Families of plants, the only method 
which enables us to treat systematically of their Geographical distribution, Culture in 
new situations, or of their Properties, as connected with, or dependent on Structure. 
Though yielding to none in his conviction of the imperative necessity of careful 
research and scrupulous accuracy, both in ascertaining facts and in drawing inferences, 
the Author feels that errors may have escaped him, for which he relies on the conside- 
ration of well-informed criticism. Appreciating fully the pleasures and advantages 
derived from examining the beauties, and observing the wisdom of Design in all the 
works of the Creator, and estimating highly the advantages of, as well as the credit 
attached to scientific investigation, he has yet felt it incumbent upon him to do that, 
which is often neglected in scientific works, namely, to deduce the legitimate practical 
inferences, from correct scientific data, because these are usually undervalued by 
many persons, who think only of practical, which are usually empirical results, and 
who, though most interested in the objects to be attained, yet from not under- 
standing, are as unable to perceive the tendency of principles, as to apply them in 
practice. The Author has, moreover, been induced to do this, because he has felt 
throughout his labours ‘‘ nisi utile sit quod facimus, stulta est gloria.” 
