NEW PUBLICATIONS. 357 
opening lengthwise ; carpels many, distinct or rarely united into a 
single pistil ; and seeds erect or pendulous," Now, on turning to 
the illustration, we find but very few of these important points . 
brought out. We can see nothing of the sepals or the nature of the 
anthers, nor anything of the seed. The case is even worse in other 
Orders, In Ftnnariacea, for instance, not a single point is brought 
out. Instead of giving bits of a plant to illustrate a Natural Order, 
diagrams would have answered the purpose better than the present 
figures, and they would have taken up less room. 
The letterpress should also have had the benefit of the corrections 
and modifications introduced into the natural system since the two 
local Floras on which Mr. Sowerby relies have been published. It will 
greatly facilitate the study of our native plants if the number of Natural 
Orders be reduced as much as practicable. There is no reason now 
why Fumariaceije and Papaveracets should be kept up as separate 
Orders, or why Geraniacece, Oxalidemy and Bahantinem^ StaphyJeaceos 
and Aceri7i€ce, Cra^mlacem and SaxifragecB^ Campayiidacece and Lobe- 
liace^, Aracem and Orontiace^e^ and several others, should not be 
united. We object also to see Lemna being placed in Pistiacea. The 
genus Pistia forms a section of ylroidecBy and Lemna is the type of a 
distinct Natiu'al Order, the Lemnacere. 
The book is neatly got up, as all Mr. Yan Yoorst's publications are, 
and it is therefore all the more vexatious that we cannot speak of it 
in more favourable terms. 
Walper 
Tonh. VI. Auctore Dr. C, 
Mueller, Berl. Lipsise. 18G1. 8vo. Pp.1305. 
A new part of this useful work has just reached us, completing the 
sixth volume, which concludes the enumeration of plants described during 
the years 1851-55, and fills 1309 pages of small type, — a gigantic 
labour, for which every working botanist cannot be too thankful to the 
indefatigable compiler. We must again remind all those who wish to 
see '' Walpers " as complete as each volume can be made to send direct 
to Dr. 0. Mueller any publication in which they may have printed any 
new genera and species, or changed the synonymy. If possible, two 
copies should be sent, because they can be cut up, and thus save the 
labour and danger of transcribing. The publications of societies should 
also be forwarded direct to the author. 
