Bibliographical Notices. 49 



nitens, parce liirtum : caput transversum, breve, thoracis latitudine; vertex 

 latus ; frons convexa, abvupte declivis : oculi picei, mediocrcs, non extantes : 

 antennie clavatce, iiigrte, corpore breviores; articulus T" sublineaiis, validus; 

 2"* longicyathifonnis ; 3"= et 4"' angiisti ; 5"' et sequcntes latiores, clavam 

 fingentes longam fusiformem : thorax ovatus : prothorax brevissiinus, supra 

 non conspicuus : mesothoracis scuttnii magmnii, longitudine latins; parap- 

 sidum suturse non conspicuoe ; scutelhun mediocre, brevi obconicum : nieta- 

 thorax transversus, brevissimus : petiolus vix ullus : abdomen subovatum, 

 scite rugulosum, thorace non longius; segmenta basi sulcata, 1""* magninn, 

 2""' et sequentia brevia : pedes picei, simplices, subaequalcs ; trochanteres 

 fulvi ; genua lulva ; tibiie basi fiilv^ ; tarsi fiilvi, apice fusci : ala> albo- 

 limpidae ; squamulaj fuscte ; nervi fulvi ; ncrvus Immeralis nullus, ulnaris 

 costre diniidio brevior, cubitalis longus radiali paullo brevior ; stigma mini- 

 mum. (Corp. long. liii. 4 ; alar. lin. 1.) 

 Reared from the eggs of an insect. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



Manual of British Botany, containing the Floxvering Plants and Ferns, 

 arranged according to the Natural Orders. By Chas. C. Babing-ton, 

 M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S., &c. &c. London : J. Van Voorst, 1843. 

 The present work is modelled after the well-known ' Synopsis 

 Florae Germauiese ' of the learned Koch, and is the result of a critical 

 examination of our native plants, by a careful comparison of indige- 

 nous specimens with the works of eminent continental authors and 

 ■with plants obtained from other parts of Europe, whereby a deside- 

 ratum long wanted has been attained, viz. the assimilation of the 

 nomenclature of British and continental writers. To effect this, our 

 flora has undergone a general and scrutinizing revision, so as to de- 

 termine what plants are really deserving of the rank of distinct spe- 

 cies, and what must be regarded only as varieties ; and those names 

 have been adopted which possess the claims of priority by a careful 

 examination of all the best European floras, comparing our plants 

 with the descriptions contained in them, and in very many cases 

 with foreign specimens of undoubted authenticity. In the adoption 

 of genera and species an endeavour has been made, by the examina- 

 tion of the plants themselves, to determine which are truly distinct, 

 thus taking nature as a guide, and not depending upon the authority 

 of any name, however distinguished. As the volume is intended as 

 a field-book, or travelling companion for botanists, the characters 

 have been admirably and ably contrasted, and condensed as much as 

 possible consistentwith their accurate discrimination. Synonyms have 

 been wholly omitted, except quotations of one British and one Ger- 

 man figure to each plant. Localities arc only given for new or pe- 

 culiarly rare plants, though the general distribution through the 

 British Isles, or in the several main portions thereof, and their cha- 

 racter in that distribution, have been noted. The arrangement is 

 that of the Natural System, but to render it generally available, a 

 succinct synopsis of the Linnsean genera is added. To detail its 

 many excellences would exceed our due limits, for fully to appreciate 

 the scientific and critical accuracy and discrimination with which the 

 Ann, ^ Mag, N. Hist, Vol xii. E 



