310 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
supposed that all the districts of so extensive an island have 
been thoroughly ransacked or equally explored. The eastern 
part has been little visited, though the few specimens which 
have been gathered in its virgin forests and mountainous 
tracts exhibit a highly interesting character. 
** The portion of the island of Cuba which extends west of 
the Havannah is well known to be the most inhabited, the 
best cultivated, and consequently the best explored. As 
might, therefore, be expected, it affords the greater part of 
the species which will be described in this work, and its sur- 
face is considerably varied, embracing rivers and marshes, 
hills both bare and wooded, and plains, often in a state of 
nature. The fine original forests, which are the chief orna- 
ments of tropical countries, are not seen within several 
leagues of the capital, and those in the environs of Havannah, 
are but little elevated above the level of the sea. Generally 
speaking, the southern districts of Cuba are low, and clothed 
with marshy forests; the west is remarkable for its rich vege- 
tation, its mountains from 600 to 700 métres (3,600—4,200 
feet) high, fertile and agricultural plains, and virgin forests. 
The north-east is well explored, and presents forests and river- 
banks of considerable interest, while the same may be said of 
the central portion, and the east is very little investigated. 
* The Natural Arrangement of M. De Candolle is followed 
in the * Botany of Cuba :? and we have bestowed peculiar 
care on the new species, describing them with all possible 
accuracy, and dismissing those which are already well known, 
in a single characteristic phrase; except when their structure 
has seemed to be mistaken or imperfectly understood. The 
more progress science makes, the more is the need felt of 
complete descriptions, even of the commonest plants. "These 
are the materials which the monographist, or botanical philo- 
sopher, is so glad to find ready to his hand. 
* There will be seen some trifling changes in the limits of 
Genera and their characters ; but generally speaking, we have 
been very cautious in admitting any new Genera. The 
science of Botany is already of such extent, its materials 
