12 ADDRESS OF THE EDITOR. [January, 



and pleasure to our readers. It is seriously hoped that it will 

 not fall like seed on the bare and barren sands of the sea-shore. 



Finally^ the Editor has much pleasure in announcing that he 

 is now dh\e, through the kindness of a well-wisher to the good 

 cause, to give some slight variety to the contents of the ' Phyto- 

 logist.-' A series of articles on the history of the British plants 

 has been offered, and are conditionally accepted. They will not be 

 a mere chronicle of botanical events, nor sketches of men illus- 

 trious in the science, nor a bibliographical account of botanical 

 works, but a genuine history of the British species. 



It was intended to give here the headings of a few of the earlier 

 chapters, but our usual limits are already over-passed, and the 

 above must be deferred. Yet we cannot entirely dismiss it 

 from this Address, because we want both the approbation and 

 assistance of our corresj)ondents to aid us in carrying out the 

 proposal. They can hardly be expected to approve till they have 

 had a sample; and they cannot give any help till they know 

 how. It is intended to trace the relations existing between the 

 plants recorded in Holy Scripture, and those of our country; 

 also the relations of Druidical, classical, medieval, intermediate, 

 and modern botany, with that of Great Britain, It will, when 

 finished, be a complete history of our native plants in connec- 

 tion with what was known of botany in all ages, from the earliest 

 antiquity to the present time. The antiquities, utilities, and the 

 distribution of native species will be the staple of these articles, 

 while the botanists and botanical works will form an integral and 

 important part of the series. What is wanted are contributions 

 on the early records of plants, their common vernacular names 

 in any of the existing languages now current in Great Britain 

 and Ireland (no merely local names are desired) ; also the first 

 mention of any plant or plants in any English, Welsh, or other 

 work or herbal current in the British dominions. 



The geography of the British species, or their distribution in 

 regions beyond our four seas, is another object of research. Mr. 

 Bentham's work will both show the way, and also afford some 

 data which will admit of increase and classification. Valuable in- 

 formation on the introduction of exotics or on naturalized plants 

 will be found in our number for June, 1858, p. 449' and the fol- 

 lowing. This article, for which we beg specially to thank the ano- 

 nymous correspondent who furnished it, is from De Candolle's 



