1022 



other botanists. — Geo. Luxford ; 2, Ehenezer Row, Kennington 

 Lane, June 22, 1 844. 



500. Flora of the Shetland Islands. Our correspondent Mr. T. 

 Edmonston, jun. lias forwarded to us a prospectus of his forthcoming 

 ' Flora of the Shetland Islands,' which is to be published by subscrip- 

 tion. Mr. Edmonston has been so long and so honourably known as 

 a zealous and successful investigator of the Natural History of these 

 islands, and more especially of their Botany, that we deem it unne- 

 cessary to do more at present than to announce his intention of pub- 

 lishing the result of his researches in an accessible foriii. — Ed. 



Aet. CCXXV[. — Notice of ' The London Journal of Botany,'' By 

 Sir W. J. Hooker, K.H., LL.D., F.R.A. & L.S., &c. No. 30, 

 June, 1844. London : Bailliere, Regent St. 



In a notice of the ' London Catalogue of British Plants,' in the 

 June number of the ' London Journal of Botany,' we find some ob- 

 servations on the review of Mr. Newman's ' History of British Ferns ' 

 which lately appeared in our pages (Phytol. 945). These observa- 

 tions appear to require from us something in the shape of explana- 

 tion ; we shall therefore, in the first place, lay before our readers the 

 whole of the observations referred to, and then, in all due courtesy, 

 proceed to offer a few remarks upon such parts as seem to be not en- 

 tirely consistent with facts.* 



Speaking of the ' Edinburgh Catalogue of British Plants,' the edi- 

 of the Journal proceeds : — 



" Nevertheless, as being the fullest ' Catalogue of British Plants ' extant at the 

 time of the publication of the 5th edition of the ' British Flora,' the author of that 

 work deemed it entitled to quotation among the synonymes, ' as one in which especial 

 pains appear to have been taken to form a complete list of the native flowering plants 

 and ferns of Great Britain.' This little compliment, paid to to the labours of those 

 v^rho compiled the Catalogue, has been strangely made the subject of censure in a re- 

 cent number of the ' Phytologist,' (a work not always distinguished by courtesy of 

 style) ; where, after speaking of the * Nomenclature ' of Mr. Edward Newman, as em- 

 ployed in the first edition of his ' History of British Ferns,' and promulgated in 1839- 

 40, — the reviewer assures us, ' there was a general denunciation of changes so radical 

 and so complete;' but, after the appearance of Mr. John Smith's paper on the same 

 subject, ' Botanists, who one month proclaimed the absurdity of Mr. Newman's inno- 



* The editor thinks it right to state that he is not the author of the review com- 

 mented upon in the ' London Journal of Botany." It was written and sent for inser- 

 tion by a correspondent, who has paid great attention to the British Ferns. 



