Bibliographical Notices. 355 



Sowerby's figure of L. Ftjenisecii is not so satisfactory in our opi- 

 nion as that given by Deakin, although the latter is not so good as 

 could be desired. The cut in Newman's new edition of his ' History 

 of British Ferns ' (or rather new work under that name *) is even less 

 characteristic than either of those above mentioned. 



We strongly suspect that Mr. Johnson includes some forms of 

 Cijstopteris fraf/ilis under his C. clentnta, for we have never seen a 

 specimen of the true plant from "Wales, although numbers of fronds 

 so named, but really belonging to C. fragilis, have fallen under our 

 notice. He has done well in combining C. Dic/cieana with C. den- 

 tata, and !Mr. Sowerby equally well in giving a beautiful figure of 

 that curious variety. 



Mr. Johnson appears to have been almost afraid of stating his opi- 

 nion that Asplenimn fferuirinicum is more nearly related to ^. sepfen- 

 trionale than to A. ruta-muraria. We have long thought that this 

 is the fact, and even suspected that A. germanicum and A. septen- 

 trionale might prove not to be separable specifically. It does not 

 seem to us to have any very close connexion with A. ruta-muraria. 

 The remarks of the Eev. T. Bell (quoted in Newm. Ferns, ed. 3. 260, 

 from the Edin. Bot. Trans, ii. 119) are well deserving of attention. 

 As observed by Mr. Johnson (p. 57), "it is remarkable that the 

 plant before us should occur both in this country and on the con- 

 tinent in company with A. septentrionale, and alwajs very spa- 

 ringly." This certainly adds to the possibility of their not being 

 really distinct. 



It is satisfactory to find that Mr. Johnson has not been led to 

 remove Pteris aquilina from its accustomed genus. The name given 

 to his new genus by Mr. Newman is rather unhappily chosen ; for 

 the younger Agardh, in his valuable ' Recensio Specierum Generis 

 Pteridis,' places Ft. aquilina in the section called by him Orni- 

 thopferis, not in that named Eupiteris. 



We have much pleasure in recommending Mr. Sowerby' s book to 

 the notice of our readers. 



First Steps in Economic Botany, for the use of Students. By 

 Thomas Croxen Archer. London: Reeve, 1854. r2mo. 



There are, perhaps, few subjects upon which more ignorance prevails 

 than the origin and nature of the numerous products of the animal 

 and vegetable kingdoms which are in daily use amongst us, and it is 



* We are sorry to see the opinion that we expressed in favour of the 

 second edition quoted as if it was necessarily applicable to the so-called 

 third edition. The great change that has been made in the names, in some 

 cases to the total neglect of the recognized laws of botanical nomenclature, 

 renders this last book fai* less valuable than its predecessors, and we do not 

 think that some of the other alterations made in it are judicious. The intro- 

 duction of an erroneous nomenclature into a book written for popular use 

 is especially to be deprecated, as it tends greatly to the establishment, 

 amongst lovers of plants, who are not scientific, of a set of names which 

 botanists must reject. 



23* 



