INTRODUCTORY. 3 



discoveries. But those with little knowledge of botany 

 will inquire in vain for some English book, at a moderate 

 price, that will enable them to name Swiss plants and 

 assist in the search for them. So far as appears, Mr. 

 Wood's Tourist's Flora is the only English one which in 

 any way professes to do this ; and, as he includes the 

 greater part of the continent, his book, though very valu- 

 able in many respects, is more expensive, more condensed, 

 and less simple than beginners require. There will, no 

 doubt, be before long a volume which will contain the whole 

 of the Swiss plants, in the convenient form which is afforded 

 to the student of English Botany by so many of the Floras 

 of our own country.* Meanwhile, the following unpre- 

 tending pages are offered as an introduction to those 

 who wish to know the names of the various plants they 

 may have gathered on their Swiss journey and a little 

 about them. 



The hundred selected — though necessarily very many 

 are left out — include those most remarkable, most charac- 



* Since these pages have been in the publisher's hands a book of this 

 kind has been published by Messrs. Swan & Sonnenschein, which will pro- 

 bably be found very useful to those who wish to pursue their botanical 

 studies of Alpine plants. New Swiss Floras in Fi-ench are often making 

 their appearance. One by Dr. Louis Bouvier, published about eight years 

 ago at Geneva, will be found helpful. There is also a handsome trans- 

 lation of Sebotte by Bennet, consisting of four vols, with plates, published 

 .at £5. 



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