THE 



JOURxNAL OF BOTANY 



BRITISH AND FORKIGN. 



EDITED Jir 



JAMES BRLTrEN, K.C.S.(t., F.L.S. 



LATE SENIOR ASSISTANT, DIOPAIITMENT or BoTANY, Rlill'ISlI MUSEUM. 



The JouiiiS^AL of BoxAxr was established in 18G3 bv Seeinann. 

 In 1872 the editorship was assumed l)y Dr. Henry Trimen, who, 

 assisted during j^art of the time by Mr. J . Gr. Baker and Mr. Spencer 

 Moore, carried it on until the end of 1879, wlien he left England for 

 Ceylon. Since then it has been in the hands of the present Editor. 



Without professing to occujDy the vast Held ot* General Botany, the 

 Journal has from its inception filled a position which, even now, is 

 covered by no other periodical. It affords a ready and prompt 

 medium for the publication of new discovei-ies, and appears regularly 

 and punctually on the 1st of each month. While more especially 

 concerned with systematic botany, observations of every kind are 

 welcomed. Especial prominence has from the first been given to 

 British botany, and it ma}^ safely be said that nothing of primary 

 importance bearing upon this subject has remained unnoticed. 



Bibliographical matters have also received and continue to receive 

 considerable attention, and the histoiy of many obscure publications 

 has been elucidated. Every number contains reviews of new andv 

 important books written by competent critics : in this as in every 

 other respect a strictly independent attitude has been maintained. 

 While in no way ofiicially connected with the Department of Botany 

 of the British Museum, the Journal has from the first been controlled 

 by those Avhose acquaintance with the National Herbarium has 

 enabled them to utihze its pages for recording facts of interest and 

 importance regarding the priceless botanical collections which the 

 Museum contains. 



Until the beginning of the late War the Journal })aid its way 

 and even allowed a shght margin of profit ; but during that period 

 the subscribers were redux^ed in number, and the continental circula- 

 tion almost ceased. It has now regained its position, but the in- 

 creased cost of production, which has not as yet been substantially 

 reduced, has resulted in an annual deficit which at one time became 

 so serioiis that the continuance of the Journal was threati^'ued. By 

 the generosity of those who felt that its cessation would be a mis- 

 fortune, especially for British botanists whose principal organ it has 

 always been, the deficit has been met and <in appeal is now made 

 for an increased number of subscribers. 



