878 



Second Notice of a ' Catalogue of Phanogamous Plants and Ferns of 

 Great Britain^ 8fc. Sfc. By Henry Ibbotson.' Part III., 1847. 



We noticed this publication at some length in our No. for Decem- 

 ber last (Phytol. ii, 688) ; but we are induced again to call attention 

 to it, under the impression that we may have been prematurely ob- 

 jecting to its plan in one respect. Our objection was taken against 

 the systematic arrangement of the names instead of an alphabetical 

 series, which rendered the Catalogue much less useful as a dictionary of 

 synonyms. This defect might be greatly lessened, however, by an al 

 phabetical index to the names and synonyms ; and it seems not im- 

 probable that the author may intend to add such an index to the 

 work ; for another part (the fourth) will nearly complete the list of 

 species, though the work is advertised "to be completed in six Parts." 

 The two remaining Parts might, perhaps, be made to include an al- 

 phabetical reprint of all the names in the four earlier Parts by print- 

 ing in close columns. 



For the rest, our former comments upon the Catalogue still hold 

 good, without seeming to require any qualification ; and, indeed, we 

 are now only making a suggestion as to what should be done, on the 

 chance that the author of the Catalogue himself intended to do this. 

 As in the two former, this third Part has some omissions and some 

 inclusions which we should have preferred not to see. But it is so 

 easy to overlook names and references, so difficult to make sure of 

 all, that a few omissions may readily be excused ; for example, that 

 of Linaria sepium {Allnian). The inclusions may be matters of fancy 

 or taste, in a Catalogue which is not one of British plants simply and 

 correctly, but of those reported to be so ; otherwise, the introduction 

 of Cuscuta approximata [Bab.) would have appeared most objection- 

 able. The cocoa-nut has been raised in a flower-pot in England, 

 fi'ora imported seeds, — why not include Cocos nucifera, and thirty 

 thousand other things, which have as much real claim to be accounted 

 British as the Cuscuta approximata ? C. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Thursday, June 4th, 1847. — John Reynolds, Esq., Treasurer, in 

 the chair. 



The Rev. H. Marsham, of Marsham, Norwich, and Mr. J, W. 

 Rogers, of Duke Street, Westminster, were elected members. 



