84 KEW, ST. PETEESBUEG, AND MAEOCCO 



During these years when several larger books were on hand 

 the Appendix reveals a smaller number of technical papers 

 than in preceding years. This period contains six contribu- 

 tions to botanical journals, of which that on Nepenthes pre- 

 figures the 1874 paper on Carnivorous Plants. He contributed 

 furthermore Eosaceae to Martius' ' Flora Braziliensis,' and the 

 descriptions of four orders to Olivers ' Flora of Tropical Africa.' 

 For the ' Admiralty Manual of Scientific Enquiry ' he revised 

 his father's article on botany. The year 1869 was mainly 

 devoted to a work of especial interest, alike as a continuation 

 of his father's work and a pursuit of his own inclinations. 



To Charles Darwin 



(End of 1868.) 



Now lift up your hands and eyes, when I tell you that I 

 am doing a British Flora ! My Father's British Flora is just 

 out of print, and Arnott, his coadjutor, is dead, and both 

 Balfour and other Scotch Professors have been at me to 

 write another Flora that shall be better adapted to students' 

 purposes more scientific, with references to such observa- 

 tions as yours, with attention to various points that in 

 structure and morphology [are] not usually noted, and 

 with rather more complete and uniform Genera descriptions 

 than the former editions. Bentham's is far the best Flora, 

 but he slurs over very distinct subspecies &c., his English 

 names are an abomination to the Professors, and his phrase- 

 ology is not scientific enough for a class book, that should 

 impress terms that express definite morphological combi- 

 nations and structures of flower, fruit, &c. I have long 

 wished to write a book of this sort, and shall have famous 

 help from Oliver in all scientific points, and Baker 1 as 

 to critical species, &c. I should like too to write a good 

 brief introduction to the principles of plant-classification, 

 with a map or two of orders such as we have often spoken of. 

 It is an awful task and you may wish me well through it ; 

 but by my wife acting as amanuensis the descriptive part 

 goes on very smoothly. It will, if well done, be the class 

 book for Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin and U. College, London, 

 and perhaps other schools, and hence have a good sale, a 



1 See p. 242, note. 



