494- REVIEWS. [January, 



their parents. Is not the economy, or origin, or organization, 

 of the bulbils and the rosettes similar, and not analogous? 



Another remark not unconnected with the duration of certain 

 species is offered about the longevity of Cynoglossum montanum, 

 a species long combined with C. officinale, and which, by all mo- 

 dern authors, not by Mr. Hudson, nor Dr. Withering, but from 

 Sir J. E. Smith downwards, has been called a biennial. 



The editor of the ' Phytologist ' would not again have obtruded 

 his views on a subject which was definitely settled years ago, 

 viz. the duration of this species, if an opinion had not been con- 

 signed to him by the author of these ' Notes,^ to which he has no 

 just claim, which he takes the liberty of repudiating and reject- 

 ing in toto, as a groundless assumption which could not be seri- 

 ously maintained by any person who has bestowed but a moderate 

 share of his attention on the subject. He has no hesitation in as- 

 serting that the question has been decided both by history and 

 experience, by testimony past and present, viz. that the plant in 

 question is not a biennial, but a perennial ; or its duration is as 

 indefinite as that of the Pulmonaria, the Symphytum, and of 

 many other plants of the Order, whose longevity was never called 

 in question. * 



It may be that he did not state his opinion very decidedly, but 

 he did not enter a single word militating against the opinion of 

 his correspondent, who brought the question under the notice of 

 the scientific public. Let our readers compare the article in the 

 ' Phytologist,' and they will find that there is no ground for im- 

 puting this opinion to the editor. 



Our excellent Belgian correspondent and friend, if he will 

 allow us to call him by that honourable name, has debited us 

 with an absurd opinion [avis) that the plant, though truly [bieti) 

 a biennial, may accidentally live three or four years, and flower 

 two or three times. See ' Notes,' etc., p. 52. 



The editor of the ' Phytologist ' has often viva voce and litei'd 

 scriptd, both in word and writing, affirmed that there is no cer- 

 tain duration implied in the term ' biennial ;' that it sometimes 

 signifies a few months, and sometimes a few years : for example, 

 the Foxglove exists usually six months, and it is called a bien- 

 nial. The garden Angelica officinalis exists generally two or 

 three years, sometimes four years, and it is also called a biennial. 



The terms ' annual' and ' biennial,' whether they denote a few 



