256 REVIEWS. 



contains full descriptions of nineteen important Medicinal plants 

 which are all common either in a wild or cultivated state in 

 Britain, and may therefore be readily obtained for examination. 



We heartily agree with the author in believing " that the pre- 

 sent work cannot but form a most convenient and handy little 

 volume for use abroad and at home by medical, pharmaceutical, 

 and all other students who are desirous of obtaining a good prac- 

 tical knowledge of some of the more important British natural 

 orders and their medicinal plants, and also as a foundation for 

 further study. The first portion of the work is illustrated by 357 

 engravings. 



The Illustrated Science Monthly, a Popular Magazine of 

 Knowledge, Research, Travel, and Invention. Edited by J. A. 

 Westwood Oliver. {^London : David Bogue.) 



It is almost sufficient to read the headings of the articles in the 

 three numbers before us, with the names of the authors appended, 

 to judge of their value and the extent of ground occupied by 

 them. We have read several of these articles with much interest. 

 The illustrations are well drawn and clearly explained. If any 

 objection is to be found, it belongs to the astronomical maps, 

 which, with their rhomboidal and triangular shaped stars, seem only 

 to confuse and to mislead instead of making the various magni- 

 tudes plain to the reader. We might also add that the Rev. J. G. 

 Wood has been too long accepted as an accurate naturalist to 

 deserve any doubt of his statements of the occasional strange 

 tricks and doings of pet animals. With this exception, we like the 

 periodical extremely, and wish it much success. 



A New and Easy Method of Studying British Wild 

 Flowers by Natural Analysis : being a complete series of 

 illustrations of their Natural Orders and Genera analytically 

 arranged. By Frederick A. Messer. (Londo7i : David Bogtie.) 



That illustration is a more powerful as well as a more alluring 

 and ready means of imparting knowledge than letterpress by itself 

 will not be doubted. This pictorial method resembles more 

 closely than any other that which is naturally followed in the com- 

 parative examination of the parts of the plants themselves. 



This book, which will be found a most useful work by all 

 botanists, commences by giving a very full glossary of botanical 

 terms ; then follows a list of symbolic illustrations, abbreviations, 

 etc., also a list of the natural orders of Flowering and Flowerless 

 Plants ; after which the true object of the book is heartily entered 

 into, not only the various classes of the Vegetable kingdom, but 



