1045 



peatedly quoted in this way, we are naturally led to doubt the sound- 

 ness of his judgment, as a distinguisher of species, whatever credit 

 may be awarded to him as an acute observer of varieties. 



We have still to mention one department of the work, in reference 

 to which we feel called upon to express much disappointment, on 

 account of its being so imperfectly executed as to be virtually false 

 or faithless. The Author seems to have adopted no ruling plan or 

 principle in giving the habitats of the species, except the old prac- 

 tice of naming habitats for those species which he supposes to be 

 less generally distributed. Now, it would have been perfectly easy 

 to have started on the comprehensive plan of omitting the names of 

 countries for all species that have been ascertained to occur in all the 

 six principal divisions of his area, as indicated on the title-page, or 

 even to have made these leading divisions rather more numerous, by 

 subdividing some of them. The several countries might have been 

 expressly named for other species that do not occur in all the divisions 

 or subdivisions. And more special indications could have been given, 

 by the names of small states, provinces, &c, for species of still more 

 local or limited occurrence. Some regular rule of this kind would 

 have been far more philosophic and useful, than the hap-hazard 

 course taken by the Author, and carried out so very imperfectly, and 

 even falsely. 



We venture on the epithets of ' false' or ' faithless ;' because, in nu- 

 merous instances, the habitats are so indicated as to convey wrong in- 

 formation, through omissions that could arise only from utter indiffer- 

 ence to accuracy, or the most negligent inquiry. A charge of this na- 

 ture, however, should never be made by a reviewer, without the citation 

 of examples in illustration of what is meant, and in proof of its accu- 

 racy. Accordingly we will select some examples, and take them from 

 that portion of the volume which must have been last printed, and 

 which should consequently be least behind the knowledge of the day. 



In the last order treated, that of Lycopodiacese, we find the habitats 

 of "Scotland, Dauphine, Germany," indicated for Lycopodium anno- 

 tinuin by the usual abbreviations. The readers of the ' Phytologist' 

 are well aware that the species named has likewise been found in 

 England, and that an early scepticism of the fact was eventually re- 

 moved by good evidence of its reality. The announcement and con- 

 firmation were made long enough ago for the habitat in ' The Tourist's 

 Flora' to have been given more correctly. But as this record does not 

 yet appear in our general floras of Britain, or other collective works, 

 even an Author on the " Ferns of the British Islands" may readily be 



