ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
On Raruipes as Naturat Cuaracrers in the Britisu 
Frora. By Grorce Guiiiver, F.R.S., &c. 
Iv has been well remarked by Dr. Lankester, that “the 
biography of our British plants has yet to be written, micro- 
scope in hand; and it is not till the minute details of the 
cell-life of each plant have been recorded that we shall be in 
a position to arrive at the laws which govern the life of the 
vegetable kingdom.” And, it may be added, until due atten- 
tion has been paid to this important subject, we shall never 
be able to comprehend and realise all the mysterious plans 
and specifications by which nature has marked, for our 
instruction, her own affinities and contrasts among allied 
groups of that kingdom. 
As a fragment towards this desirable object, it is now pro- 
posed to give an abstract of my researches on the distribution 
of raphides in the British Flora, compiled from numerous 
papers published piecemeal in the ‘ Annals of Natural His- 
tory’ and other journals ; with elucidations, by some expe- 
rimental trials and facts, now first submitted for publication. 
Besides these new observations and the inherent interest of 
the subject, the present digest may afford materials for useful - 
help to such botanists as may like to try the value of 
raphides as natural characters in our native plants, and for 
the employment of these characters, should the verdict be 
' favorable to them, in appropriate parts of future editions of 
the British Flora. 
Of the former papers a summary, with many fresh observa- 
tions, was given in the ‘ Popular Science Review’ for October 
last ; but I was then so much engaged with the exotic Flora 
and other parts of the subject as to be obliged to dismiss 
our indigenous plants with a curt and insufficient notice. 
How easily and pleasantly these researches may be made, 
and with what hopes of success, I have shown in that 
Review. And now it remains to display more particu- 
VOL. VI.—NEW SER. A 
