946 



may pave the way to an universal correct Natural History."* If this be 

 true (and who shall gainsay it ?) how true also is the converse of the 

 proposition ! — General writers, come from whence they may, have 

 slight pretence to challenge regard and approbation from the lovers of 

 Natural History : for as no man can alone investigate all the works 

 of Nature, these general writers must be less accurate in their disco- 

 veries, and less free from errors than more partial writers, and so by 

 degrees they introduce manifold eiTors into Natural History. With- 

 out making any attempt to criticise the works of our masters in the 

 science, and confining our attention entirely to living authors, we 

 may, without hesitation, give the unqualified precedence to mono- 

 graphers. We may safely assert that we know of no botanist who 

 combines writing much with writing well. 



In the field the author has chosen for his labours, he may be said 

 to have no competitor ; it is true, there are two other works treating 

 precisely on the same subject, but one of these, Bolton's ' Filices,' 

 has long been out of print, and the other, Francis' ' Analysis,' rather 

 brings into one point of view our knowledge of ferns as derived fi'om 

 Sir J. E. Smith, Sir W. J. Hooker, and Mr. Mackay, than supplies 

 us with a well digested history of that beautiful tribe. 



The classification of ferns has lately received great assistance fi-om 

 the application of a character either overlooked or neglected by all 

 the older botanical writers ; we allude to the venation. Presl on the 

 continent, and Mr. John Smith in this country, have taken the lead 

 in bringing this valuable character into notice ; and the result of its 

 application seems rather to illustrate the value of the Linnean group- 

 ing of these plants, than detract fi*om its utility or interfere with its 

 detail, while, at the same time, it must be acknowledged, it decidedly 

 discomposes the labours of Sir J. E. Smith, and induces a smile at 

 the very complacent manner in which he congratulates himself on the 

 perfection of his own performances.f 



In classification, our author is decidedly a pupil of the modern 

 school, without, however, being a servile follower of its able found- 

 ers. He works with their characters, but does not always attain the 

 same results. Consequently, his nomenclature is toto coelo at vari- 

 ance with that so long in general use. On the first promulgation of 

 his views on this subject, in 1839-40, there was a general denuncia- 



* Gilbert White, 

 f See the introductory ohservations to the Cryptogamia Filices in the 4th volume 

 of the ' English Flora.' 



