Bihliogiaphical Notices. 471 



Borders,' by our lamented colleague Dr. Johnston, refer only partially 

 to Scotland ; Greville's and Woodforde's Edinburgh lists are now 

 rather ancient, and require to be replaced by a modern work entering 

 into po.rticulars not then considered necessary. Gardiner's ' Flora 

 of Forfarshire' supplies most of what is required concerning that 

 county, which is especially interesting from its having been the chief 

 field of the late G. Don's researches and discoveries, and also because 

 it is " probably the best botanical county in the Highlands." The 

 anonymous ' Collectanea for a Flora ' of Moray was greatly praised 

 on its publication, and, in the words of Mr. Watson, " took the lead 

 in rejecting and questioning the introduced species of its district on 

 something like a sound and uniform principle." Murray's ' Northern 

 Flora ' is unfortunately a mere fragment. Edmondston's ' Flora of 

 Shetland' concludes the list of local floras, as far as their existence 

 is known to us. This last-mentioned little book has now become so 

 exceedingly scarce, and is in some respects so peculiar, that a new 

 volume about the plants of Shetland (including also, if possible, 

 Orkney) is very much wanted. 



In addition to these more complete works, we possess lists of plants 

 noticed in some districts either during a short residence therein, or 

 in the course of a hasty tour. Although very incomplete, these 

 catalogues are valuable when drawn up by qualified persons, with 

 sufficient care, and uninfluenced by the desire (which is unfortunately 

 common) to swell them as much as possible by including species 

 of doubtful claim to insertion ; but they are in no sense local 

 floras. 



It will thus be seen that a new and carefully prepared flora of a 

 Scottish district is a valuable addition to our sources of information 

 concerning the geographical distribution of plants in Britain. Dr. 

 Dickie has produced such a work — one which will take a high place 

 amongst the best of its class. The country to which it relates forms 

 part of the "East Highlands" province of Watson. It consists of 

 the counties of Aberdeen, Banfi^, and Kincardine, forming " a con- 

 tinuous quadrilateral tract of land in the north-east of the middle 

 third of Scotland, of about 2960 square miles." It is " bounded on 

 the south by one of the main off'shoots of the Grampians and the 

 N. Esk river, which separate it from Perthshire and Forfarshire ; 

 on the west by Inverness- shire, Elginshire, and the river Spey ; on 

 the north and east by the German Ocean." It includes much of the 

 highest land in Britain surrounding the sources of the rivers Dee, 

 Don, and Avon, and is especially deserving of notice as including 

 within its limits the beautiful and botanically rich district commonly 

 known by the name of Braemar. Dr. Dickie furnishes us with a 

 small but sufficient map of these counties and of portions of those 

 adjoining them. 



The * Introduction ' treats of the geography and climate. The 

 latter is illustrated by tabular statements of the range of temperature 

 and fall of rain, derived from observations made at Castle Newe, in 

 Strathdon, at a height of 868 feet above the sea-level, at Braemar 

 1180 feet above the same, and less perfectly at Aberdeen. At 



