Bibliographical Notices. 323 



this particularly, because we believe it has been too much the fashion 

 for students to learn, and examiners to require of them, only so much 

 botany as shall enable them to tell the name of a plant when they 

 see it, or, at most, its Ltnnaean class and order. We do not say 

 this to disparage the work before us ; we think Dr. Willshire has done 

 his task well ; but we would rather see his book used by medical stu- 

 dents as a means of refreshing their memories than as an introduc- 

 tion to the science of botany. The volume is small and unpretending, 

 and the author has succeeded in furnishing a large amount of matter 

 in a small compass. 



An outline is given of every department of the science, commen- 

 cing with structural botany and passing on through the pbysiolog}- 

 and pathology of plants, and concluding with systematology-. A few 

 pages are devoted to morphology, in which the principles of this de- 

 partment are well laid down ; but we think that the author might 

 have usefully given more extension to this section of his book, espe- 

 cially as the subject is at present, in systematic botany, one of so 

 much practical importance. In systematic arrangement the author 

 follows DeCandoUe, an outline of whose system, with the characters 

 of the natural orders, he has given. 



In illustration of the orders medical plants are referred to ; but we 

 think that, both for the convenience and use of the medical student, 

 some of the more common wild or garden plants should have been 

 introduced. As a condensed view of the principles of botany up to 

 the time it has been written, we can recommend Dr. WiUshire's 

 volume both to the medical student and amateur botanist. 



Arcana Entomologica, or Illustrations of new, rare, and interesting 

 Exotic Insects. By J. O. Westwood, F.L.S., &c. No. 1. 



Under this title Mr. Westwood has commenced the publication of 

 a work much wanted by English entomologists. It is long since 

 Drury and Donovan's works made us acquainted with the many 

 splendid and singular insects with which the cabinets of English 

 collectors are enriched. Since that time numbers of equallv beau- 

 tiful and singular species have been received in this countrj', espe- 

 cially from our diiFerent possessions abroad, which have either 

 remained undescribed, or have been made known for the most part 

 by short and meagre descriptions. 



In the present work Air. Westwood proposes to describe and 

 figure some of the most interesting of the exotic novelties contained 

 in our collections ; and if we may judge by the present part, we may 

 congratulate entomologists upon the proposed undertaking. It con- 

 tains four plates, each of which consists of several coloured figures ; 

 the first plate illustrates several Asiatic comuted species of Cetoniidce, 

 including both sexes of a new and splendid species brought home by 

 Mr. Cuming. This plate contains not less than twenty different 

 figures of the insects and their generic details. The second plate is 

 devoted to four species of the extraordinarv genus Phyllomorpha, of 



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