Bibliographical Notices. 18 



-> 



nomenclators of plants use the genitive of the substantive when 

 expressing the connection of discovery or original description be- 

 tween the plant and the person commemorated ; and the adjective 

 when no such connection exists, and the name is only a compliment. 



The earlier part of this book is occupied by short accounts of 

 Classification, Geographical Distribution, and Vegetable Organiza- 

 tion and Physiology, and then follows a long exposition of the Na- 

 tural Orders. These dissertations may be of use to the medical 

 student preparing for examination, but are far too superficial for the 

 botanist. 



We now come to the " descriptive Botany," which we suspect 

 has been written several years, for the author is manifestly unac- 

 quainted with the third volume of the ' Suppl. to Eng. Bot.,' the 

 later volumes of the ' Linnsean Transactions,' and the ' Magazine of 

 Zoology and Botany.' The descriptions are probably sufficient for 

 the mere English botanist who is quite satisfied if he can reduce a 

 plant to some species of Smith or Hooker, not suspecting that it can 

 have been omitted by those excellent authors ; but we hope that that 

 class is rapidly becoming extinct, and that British botanists will soon 

 take their station upon an equality with those on the continent of 

 Europe. This remark does not of course apply to our leading bota- 

 nists, who have long been celebrated for their deep and careful re- 

 search. 



In the Appendix distinguishing marks are requested between Ha- 

 benaria bifolia and chlorantha (plants which appear to be confounded 

 by the author) : we would refer him either to an early number of 

 this Journal or to the ' Suppl. to English Botany,' where they will 

 be found carefully pointed out. We suspect that Mr. Borrer will be 

 not a little surprised to learn that Isnardia palustris grows " spa- 

 ringly on the south side of the bog on Henfield common ; more 

 plentiful on the other side." We have several times had the advan- 

 tage of examining that bog, with Mr. Borrer, but have never seen a 

 trace of this plant. 



The book concludes with a Glossary and very copious Index. 



The Little English Flora, or a Botanical and Popular Account of all 

 our common Field Flowers. By G. W. Francis. 



We spoke with commendation in the ' Companion to the Bota- 

 nical Magazine,' of Mr. Francis's little ' Manual of the British 

 Ferns.' The success of that work has induced him to undertake the 

 present ; his object being, first, " to invite the young to the ex- 



