644 



synopsis. We regret to have found occasion for this ungracious task 

 of fault-finding, because we believe that Sir William could have done 

 much better. 



We will now turn to Mr. Babington's Manual, and see how nearly that 

 comes up to the idea of what a new book on British Botany ought to be. 

 The model chiefly followed in its preparation is Koch's ^ Synopsis 

 Florae Gerraanicge ;' but other standard works have also been consulted. 



" In the present work it has been the author's endeavour to adopt, in all cases, those 

 names which have the claim of priority, unless good cause could be shown for a con- 

 trary proceeding, and with this object he has carefully examined nearly all the best 

 European Floras, comparing our plants with the descriptions contained in them, and 

 in very many cases with foreign specimens of undoubted authenticity. In the adop- 

 tion of genera and species an endeavour has been made, by the examination of the 

 plants themselves, to determine what are to be considered as truly distinct, thus, it is 

 hoped, taking Nature as a guide, and not depending upon the authority of any name, 

 however distinguished. Still let it not be supposed that any claim is made to peculiar 

 accuracy, nor that the author considers himself qualified to dictate to any student of 

 Botany, for he is well aware that there are many points upon which persons who have 

 carefully studied the subject may form different conclusions from those to which he 

 has been led." — Pref. vi. 



This is as it should be ; and such, doubtless, was the plan adopted, 

 so far as circumstances would permit, by Sir J. E. Smith, and by the 

 author of the ' British Flora' himself, in the preparation of the early 

 editions of that work : there is, nevertheless, a greater amount of ori- 

 ginality observable in the pages of the Manual, than in any general 

 work on British Botany that has issued from the press since the pub- 

 lication of the ' English Flora.' In a very few instances Mr. Babing- 

 ton has thought it better to rely more on the labours of his predeces- 

 sors than on his own judgment, as in the difficult genera Rosa and 

 Rubus, respecting which he expresses his obligations to the valuable 

 monographs by Mr. Borrer, published in the 'British Flora.' But, 

 while studying the works of the great continental botanists, the author 

 has not deemed it unnecessary to note what has been going on at home, 

 and that, too, up to the latest possible date previous to the publi- 

 cation of his Manual; which is thus rendered more complete than it 

 would otherwise have been. The orders and genera are necessarily 

 defined as concisely as was consistent with perspicuity; but we should 

 like to see, in a future edition, a general table of the orders and genera, 

 arranged on the dichotomous or some other plan, prefixed to the vo- 

 lume, as well as the present Linnsean synopsis. 



We must conclude with the following paragraph, which conveys 

 the author's wishes respecting a future edition of his Manual. 



