PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. 



Vegetable Histology are treated of in as simple and brief a 

 manner as was thought to be consistent with the nature of 

 the subject. 



The Schedules, the use of which is very strongly recom- 

 mended, were devised by the late Professor Henslow, of 

 Cambridge University, to fix the attention of pupils upon the 

 salient points of structure. They will be found invaluable 

 to the teacher as tests of the accuracy of his pupils' knowl- 

 edge. The cost of striking off a few hundred blanks of each 

 sort would be very trifling, and not worth considering in 

 view of the resulting advantages. 



The wood-cuts are from drawings from living specimens, 

 except in two or three instances where assistance was derived 

 from cuts of well-known excellence in standard works on 

 Botany. It need hardly be said that the engravings are not 

 in any sense intended to take the place of the living plants. 

 They are designed chiefly to assist in the examination of the 

 latter ; and whilst it is hoped that they may be of service to 

 those who may desire to read the book in the winter season, 

 it is strongly urged upon teachers and students not to be 

 satisfied with them as long as the plants themselves are 

 available. 



The works most frequently consulted in the preparation 

 of the text are those of Hooker, Gray, Bentley, and Oliver. 



Finally, the Author looks for indulgence at the hands of 

 his fellow-teachers, and will be glad to receive suggestions 

 tending to increase the usefulness of the work, and to extend 

 a taste for what must ever be regarded as one of the most 

 refining as well as one of the most practically useful of 

 studies. 



September, 1879. 



