44 



I shall be exceedingly glad to learn that some favourably situated 

 botanist has been able to settle that long-debated point, — the parasit- 

 ical or non-parasitical character of Monotropa. 



Geo. Luxford. 



Art. XVI. — Notice of * A History of British Forest Trees.^ By 

 Prideaux John Selby, F.R.S.E., F.L.S., Etc. London : John 

 Van Voorst. Parti. July, 1841. 



This work is to appear in monthly numbers, and is printed uni- 

 formly with the series of British Quadrupeds, Fishes, Birds &c. The 

 Jirst number is now before us. 



Although in announcing the Phytologist we have drawn no line be- 

 tween the botanical productions of Britain and the more showy plants 

 of sunnier climes, yet we freely confess that we feel a strong bias in 

 favour of everything indigenous ; and the discovery of a moss or some 

 rare flower in an unrecorded and unexpected habitat, gives us more 

 pleasure than the importation of cargoes of the choicest exotics : the 

 word "British" compensating abundantly for sobriety of colouring or 

 humility of stature. Influenced by this feeling we take up Selby's 

 * British Forest Trees ' with the most perfect and entire good will, and 

 it is with some feelings of compunction that we pen even a single line 

 which may be taken for dispraise. 



The number before us contains portraits of eight trees ; the lime, the 

 American lime, the sycamore, the Norway maple, the common maple, 

 the horse-chesnut, the holly and the Robinia, commonly but erroneously 

 called the acacia. Of these the maple and the holly are unquestiona- 

 bly British, the lime as cultivated and the sycamore have a doubtful 

 claim, and the remaining four have no claim at all. This seems to us 

 scarcely in accordance with the title. We do not complain that Mr. 

 Selby has attempted any misrepresentation ; on the contrary his work 

 supplies abundant evidence of our assertion, that four only of the trees 

 are reputed to be British. We submit therefore whether it would not 

 be well to amend the title of the work by the introduction of the words 

 " indigenous or introduced : " this would give the public a much bet- 

 ter idea of the real object of Mr. Selby's undertaking. 



The figures of the trees are beautifully cut, but have the demerit, if 

 so it may be called, of being drawn from extraordinary specimens ; 

 thus, although we have no doubt that the figures are faithfiil portraits 

 of certain trees that do exist, yet in exuberance of growth they so far 



