Ure's Dictionmy of Art s^ Mamifadures, 8fc. 



r^9.^ 



assist in the formation of this variety. Our woods abound in Erica ciuerea 

 and E. Tetralix, Trientalis europaea, Galium saxatile, Goodyera repens, many 

 grasses and other plants, whose remains, mixed with decayed leaves and 

 branches of trees, all contribute to the formation of forest peat. Many of 

 the plants enumerated, however insignificant thej' may apjiear to be, have 

 contributed, in no mean degree, to modify the nature of the surface of the 

 district, and perhaps also its climate, by the filling up of lakes and marshes 

 (by the formation of peat), a process still going on. Some of these remarks 

 may appear foreign to this work ; but a notice of the vegetation in different 

 stations naturally led us to tliis subject. 



" From the considerable extent of sea coast included in our range, it vvill 

 be proper to add some account of the plants occurring in this part of the 

 district. 



" Toward the mouth of the Ythan, there is a capacious basin filled by the 

 tide : it is named the Slitch, or Sleeks of Tartie, and is almost the only part 

 where a true salt marsh occurs. In this place we find the variety of peat 

 called Marine, and principally produced by the decay of the following plants: — 

 Glaux maritima, Triglochin maritimum, Scirpus maritimus, Chenopodium 

 maritimum, Blysmus rufus, and Salicornia herbacea, which are found here 

 along with many others frequent in such stations. The sandy coast south 

 from the Ythan principally abounds in Carex arenaria, Arrhenatherum avena- 

 ceum, Festuca (var.) hirta, Triticum junceum, Cakile maritima, Salsola Kali, 

 and others. The Elymus arenarius, abundant in many other parts of the 

 covnitry on sandy coasts, is exceedingly rare in this district. At the mouth 

 of the Don, there is a part which may be considered as a salt marsh, and here 

 we find Poa maritima, Scirpus maritimus, and others. On the sand hills near 

 this, we meet with IMyosotis coUina, Vicia lathyroides, Fedia olitoria, and, 

 more rarely, Tragopogon pratensis ; and, in moist places, Carex incurva, 

 Blysmus rufus, &c. Crossing to the south of the Dee, we reach that part of 

 the coast of Kincardineshire contained within our range. This coast is 

 almost entirely rocky, and presents a varied and luxuriant vegetation. This 

 last fact, we believe to have but little connexion with the ditt'erent kinds of 

 rocks (already mentioned) found here, but depending more on the presence 

 of numerous springs issuing from crevices of the rocks, and of small rivulets 

 passing over them. By this last means, a rich impalpable mud is washed 

 down from the high grounds, accumulates on shelves of the rocks, and on 

 the narrow beach, and thus affords a place of growth suitable to a great 

 variety of plants." 



The reader will see, by the length of our quotations, how- 

 much we prize this little work. It does great credit to the 

 author, and seems to us a fit model for other local floras. It is 

 surely much better to introduce in that class of botanical publi- 

 cations preliminary discussions on climate and soil, than to load 

 the work with botanical descriptions, copied out of some larger 

 flora. 



Art. IV. Catalogue of JVorks on Gardening, Agrictdlure, Botany, 

 Rural Architecture, S^-c, lately published, tvith some Account oj" those 

 considered the more interesting. 



Dr. Ure^s Dictionary of Arts, Maiiufacturcs, and Mines, Sfc. 

 Parts I. and II. 8vo. London, 1838. 

 This is a most original and valuable work, and one which all 

 our readers, who can afford it, ought to possess as a book of 



