372 Arhoreium Btitannmiin. 



importance of developing and presenting to public observation the affinity 

 which certain species of vegetables have to particular strata of the earth, 

 so as to connect the botanical with the geological character of a country. 

 Your intended work now offers a most happy opportunity of commencing 

 the publication of a series of observations on the subject, necessarily so 

 much neglected hitherto, because the science of geology itself is but of 

 yesterday, of later time than the days of Gerarde, of Ray, of Hudson, of 

 Solander, and of the immortal Linnaeus. Yet, in respect to our native 

 plants, the eye of William Smith, for more than thirty years, has not been 

 blind J so long since is it that he would tell you, by catching the outline 

 of the foliage between his eye and the sky in a starlight night, what 

 stratum he is passing over, not less certainly than by the outline of the 

 banks and hills, or by the sound of his horse's footfall. Yet the long life 

 of the acute and indefatigable Richardson has not been spent in vain : as 

 communicative as he is observant, his treasured stores on this topic would 

 infinitely enrich your work. If you ramble westward, fail not to seek out 

 the aforesaid venerable minister of Hiuigerford, and to lay hun under 

 copious contributions. In respect to foreign botany, Humboldt has many 

 detached pieces of information on this head ; we must also feel infinitely 

 obliged both to yourself for having (Vol. IV. p. 463.) a little varied Mr. 

 A. Gordon's valuable observations on the habitats of American plants, 

 and also to Mr. Gordon for his paper (in a subsequent Number, Vol. VI. 

 p. 359.) restoring the text of his own original observations ; inasmuch as 

 that collision has given us a very valuable elucidation of the native posi- 

 tions of so many beautiful plants of that country. I have, even in my 

 humble collection, seen cause to change the habitation of at least half a 

 dozen Americans, in consequence of Mr. Gordon's obliging information. 

 In very numerous books of travels, we pick up detached observations, 

 indicating the relation of plants to particular strata, which, if sought out 

 and collected, would together constitute a valuable and copious, though 

 not complete, body of information on this head. You have now the 

 opportunity of making a very happy beginnmg, by restrictmg the first 

 enquiry to trees and shrubs only, of which the genera and species are 

 comparatively few. Even in this, I grant, you may not be perfect in 

 respect to all the foreign genera and species ; but in this day, when there 

 are so many planters that write, and writers that plant, I shall think it 

 hard if you cannot collect competent and sufficiently accurate information 

 respecting the connection between our indigenous trees and shrubs, and 

 the strata which most genially produce them. This will most easily and 

 effectually be attained by inviting the contributions of numerous indivi- 

 duals ; and the botanical world must feel obliged to a gentleman who, in 

 your Magazine of Natural History, Vol. III. p. 410,, has made almost the 

 first essay yet extant, towards this end, by identifying the plants he recog- 

 nised on different sites of the mountain limestone. That writer has very 

 happily and naturally hit off one of the most interesting circumstances 

 attendant on this species of knowledge ; namely, that he who possesses 

 it, "O where he will, recognises old acquaintances, and finds a home in 

 eve^-y country. In the trees so aptly and beautifully denominated by the 

 benevolent St. Pierre the " friends of man, " in the trees of the stratum 

 on which he played and wandered when a child, he hails the very shade 

 which sheltered him in his native village, and finds a new feature of in- 

 terest in scenes far distant from his accustomed habitation. This gentle- 

 man, however, has fallen into some few errors, in setting down, as peculiar 

 to the mountain limestone, plants which are common to other calcareous 

 soils alike as to that; and shows that his observations of the strata 

 have not yet been very extensive. We are, however, thankful to him for 

 breaking the ice, and setting us a good example in recording divers facts 

 which are correct : let us receive these with gratitude, and call on some 



