PKEFACE 



The Phytologist owes its existence to the desire of recording 

 and preserving facts, observations and opinions relating to Botany 

 in general, but more especially to British Botany. Prior to its com- 

 mencement these had no appropriate receptacle. There was no pe- 

 riodical to which they would be acceptable. For works of a general 

 character, they were esteemed too dull : for those of high scientific 

 pretensions they were supposed too trifling. By field-botanists alone 

 \yere they considered worth preserving : to such the utility, the value 

 of an unpretending monthly journal was most manifest; and these 

 field-botanists — these observers — these labourers in the delightful 

 fields of botanical enquiry, have freely availed themselves of its pa- 

 ges : they have done all that was anticipated, and * The Phytologist ' 

 has become the medium of their communications with each other and 

 with the botanical public. 



It has been a source of great pleasure to me to observe, from time 

 to time, among such contributors, the honoured names of Forster, 

 Woods, Borrer, Wilson, Boott, Taylor, Greville and Ralfs, — names 

 familiar as household words to the ear of every botanist, — names 

 that constantly occur in works treating of British plants. Neither 

 must I omit to enumerate others, perhaps of a younger school, but 

 already honorably known ; — as Mr. Spruce, the talented muscologist, 

 Mr. Babington, Mr. Leighton, Dr. Balfour, Mr. Watson, Mr. Irvine, 

 and Mr. Luxford, — all highly esteemed for their labours in the cause 

 of British Botany, have lent their aid to ' The Phytologist.' To the 

 last-named gentleman I am indebted, not only for those papers which 

 bear his name, but also for numerous anonymous articles, and the 



