246 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



give thanks ! The first portion of their 

 prayer, at least, is answered. The scope 

 and nature of the work cannot be better 

 stated in brief than by quoting the open- 

 ing paragraph of the authors' introduc- 

 tion : 



" The present work is the first com- 

 plete Illustrated Flora published in this 

 country. Its aim is to illustrate and des- 

 cribe every species, from the Ferns up- 

 wards, recognized as distinct by botanists 

 and growing wild within the area adopted, 

 and to complete the work within such 

 moderate limits of size and cost as shall 

 make it accessible to the public generally, 

 so that it may serve as an independent 

 handbook of our Northern Flora and as a 

 work of general reference, or as an ad- 

 junct and supplement to the manuals of 

 systematic botany in current use." 



The introduction also informs us that 

 about three-fourths of these species, some 

 four thousand in number, are here figured 

 for the first time. 



Not only is the conception of such a 

 work as a practicable possibility to be 

 credited to Judge Brown , the elaboration 

 of the plan and the surmounting of the 

 difficulties which have from time to time 

 arisen have been his great and constant 

 care. Above all, it is through his muni- 

 ficent provision of the substantial means 

 alone that the accomplishment of the un- 

 dertaking has been rendered possible. 

 Much as we owe to the publishers whose 

 names appear upon the title-page, it 

 must not be unknown to the public that 

 the real publisher is the Hon. Addison 

 Brown, nor that he undertook the publi- 

 cation as a labor of love, with little pros- 

 pect at the time that it would ever prove 

 other than an expensive contribution to 

 the popularization of science. Nor is it 

 out of place to hazard the opinion, after 

 a study of the work, that the actual re- 

 sult will yet prove for the publisher a 

 surprise upon the sunny side. 



The value of illustrations thus pre- 

 sented need hardly be dwelt upon. Im- 

 portant as they are in introducing the 

 general public to a knowledge of our 

 plants, the value of reliable figures is ap- 

 preciated by none more keenly than by 

 the experienced botanist. Not because 

 they are more important than some other 

 features of the work, but because of their 

 greater prominence, the illustrations are 

 examined first. The adoption of a stand- 

 ard size for the cuts has been the result 

 of much anxious thought. To display 

 undimmed the individuality of the plant 

 was the first consideration, while upon 

 the other hand to destroy the popular 

 character of the work by unduly enhanc- 

 ing the cost was to sacrifice the principal 

 obiect for which it was undertaken. Ap- 

 parently the most successful result possi- 

 ble in this direction has been attained. 

 When the entire plant could not be fig- 

 ured, it has been individually studied as 

 to its most charteristic parts. Tall stems 

 have frequently been included by repre- 

 senting them in a doubled or folded posi- 

 tion. In all cases of reduction, life-size 

 drawings have been employed. The 

 magnification of such minute parts as 

 sporangia, akenes, seed-coats and appen- 

 dages is a feature of the very highest 

 importance, and one the educational in- 

 fluence of which can hardly be over-esti- 

 mated. Good illustrations are the fruits 

 of the Potamogetons and dissections of 

 the column in Orchidaceae. The reduc- 

 tion is conspicuously indicated beside the 

 general illustrations, but it cannot be re- 

 garded as otherwise than unfortunate 

 that the degree of magnification of the 

 minuter parts was not also stated (the 

 authors deeming it unnecessary), or, at 

 least, that it was not made clear that the 

 same degree was used in illustrating the 

 same organ throughout a group. 



The work upon the illustrations, both 

 drawing and engraving, is of the very 



