254 



" The import of the shapes, I wished 



In magisterial wise t'unfold ; 

 But what I could not comprehend 



Might not of course by me be told. 



The grand object seems to be the " tracing the symbolization of the 

 vegetable world, through every form of Divine worship that has ex- 

 isted among the various races of mankind." But, fearing that by this 

 time our readers must be aweary of a subject already extended be- 

 yond all reasonable length, we must plead as an excuse for prolixity 

 the generally interesting nature of a book, some idea of which we have 

 endeavoured to lay before them by means of the extracts we have 

 culled from its pages ; not with a view of superseding a reference to 

 the work itself, but rather in the hope that some at least may be 

 tempted from our samples to make themselves acquainted with the 

 original ; where, although certain things may be encountered calcu- 

 lated to startle those who are unacquainted with the German mode of 

 treating scientific matters, yet we must say that we consider the Eng- 

 lish botanist to be under an obligation both to author and translator 

 for the production of a book well calculated to vindicate the claims 

 of Botany to a far loftier position as a science than many, even at the 

 present day, are from ignorance of its merits inclined to accord it. 



L. 



Observations on certain Plants occurring near Dumfries. 

 By Peter Gray, Esq. 



About the middle of last month I gathered Pyrola media and Ly- 

 copodium alpinum- in some quantity for distribution. The only 

 habitat at present known in this district for these rather rare plants is 

 upon the eastern slope of those hills which hem in the vale of Dum- 

 fries on its western side, above and some hundred yards to the north 

 of the mansion-house of Dalskairth, in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright. 

 While thus engaged I noticed so many plants not generally met with, 

 and these in such profusion, that I am tempted to give you a brief ac- 

 count of my ramble. The district in question, not to speak of the 

 range of hills of which it forms a very small part, has never been ex- 

 amined with much attention, although I am convinced it would well 

 repay it. On the day upon which, in company with a friend, I last 

 visited it, the beams of an almost vertical sun flashed on our heads, 



