871 



Should any satirical botanist call that clever author's attention to Dr. 

 Lindley's frank admission, and at same time inform him that many 

 botanists found much of their pretensions to scientific eminence upon 

 microscopical observations on the formation of cells, he might well feel 

 warranted in applying more depreciating expressions than the simple 

 term " minute." Suppose he should write that " Facts the most mi- 

 nute, uncertain and useless, have made scientific reputations." Sup- 

 pose he should thus write, we ask, who could say the sarcasm is un- 

 true ? Nevertheless, we trust a time will come, when certainty and 

 value may be found in such microscopical investigations ; and at all 

 events they now serve for innocent amusement to a class of scientific 

 minds which are fitted by nature to look after "facts the most 

 minute ; " and minute facts may still be important facts. 



C. 



Notice of a ' Manual of British Botany. By C. C. Babington, M.A.' 



(Concluded from page 851). 



•' 



We resume our comments upon some of the ideas and descriptions 

 published in this valuable work ; having before glanced over its 

 contents as far as the order Compositge. 



The author now follows the continental botanists, in substituting 

 the name of Achillea decolorans {Schrad.), in place of Achillea 

 serrata {Retz), hitherto applied to a very dubious British plant, which 

 is said not to be the species intended by Retz. It is curious that 

 neither the species of Retz, nor the species of Smith, to both of which 

 the name " serrata" has been given, should have any certainly known 

 native country. The former has been very doubtfully located in 

 Switzerland or Siberia ; and the latter, in Derbyshire. We do not. 

 know how far Babington's second English locality for Smith's species, 

 that of Temple Cloud, Somerset, on the authority of Mr. Flower, can 

 be relied upon as a correct and native habitat. 



Filago apiculata {G. E. Smith) is not adopted in the Manual. We 

 think this alleged species merits further examination. There can be 

 little doubt that it is really the same thing as Filago Jussiaei (Coss. 

 and Germ.) ; and the omission of some points from the descriptions of 

 each quasi-species, those which are less variable being retained, might 

 remove the objections against F. apiculata, urged in a former No. (See 

 Phytol. ii. 760). , 



