PREFACE 



THIS little book contains, in an abridged form, the 

 elementary and more essential parts of the text of 

 the larger Course of Practical Instruction in Botany. 

 It is believed that beginners will find the directions 

 sufficient to guide their first steps in laboratory work. 

 The abridgment has largely consisted in the excision 

 of supplementary descriptions of forms other than 

 those which have been selected as the main types : 

 in so far as that is the case, the publication of this 

 book may be thought to encourage a narrow style of 

 type-teaching. 



Type-teaching in Biological Sciences appears at 

 present to be inevitable in elementary classes ; it 

 lies chiefly with the teacher to avoid the evils which 

 are apt to arise from it. In order to use this book 

 with proper effect, his knowledge should extend far 

 beyond the area of the work here specifically de- 

 scribed, and the larger edition may help him towards 



