123 



ms, and Meneghini mentions its occurrence in Desmidium. That the 

 sporangia are not more frequently detected may be partly owing to 

 their minuteness, but I believe that once formed they descend to the 

 bottom of the pool and become mixed with the mud. It is well known 

 that in the Conjugatfe, when all the sporangia are formed, the plant 

 sinks to the bottom ; and I may remark in support of the opinion I 

 have advanced, that in a small pool at Dolgelley after a shower I 

 could not obtain a single specimen of the Staurastrum in a conjugated 

 state, although the day before the sporangia were abundant. In a 

 few days the Staurastrum was again plentiful, but 1 no longer met 

 with any conjugated specimens, although I frequently sought for 

 them."— p. 153. 



Notice of ' A Botanical Guide to the Environs of Cheltenham ; 

 comprehending a Classified Arrangement of the Indigenous 

 Floivers and Ferns of the Cotteswold Hills and the Vale of 

 Gloucester ; with the Habitats of the various Plants. By 

 James Buckman, F.G.S., Corresponding Member and Local 

 Secretary of the Botanical Society of London, Honorary Seci'e- 

 tary of the Cheltenham Literary and Philosophical Institution, 

 &c. &c.' Cheltenham : H. Davies, Montpellier Library ; and 

 D. Bogue, London. 1844. 



The object of this little work is sufficiently indicated by its title, 

 which we have given at full length. The author has evidently taken 

 pains to render it a complete list of the floral productions of the dis- 

 trict, of about ten square miles in extent ; and, as a guide to the va- 

 rious localities of the plants, we should suppose it will prove useful to 

 botanical students visiting Cheltenham : and the more so, as we learn 

 from the Preface that this " is the first attempt which has been made 

 to tabulate the plants of an undoubtedly interesting locality." The 

 botanical portion is introduced by a brief account of the geographical 

 and geological features of the district. 



As we are nothing if not critical, we may just say that a little more 

 care might advantageously have been bestowed in the correction of 

 the spelling of the botanical names, many of which now look anything 

 but botanical. 



