vi Preface. 



illustnitcd by wood-cuts. This was little more 

 than an illustrated catalogue, but was the only 

 complete work published down to the present. At 

 that time the announcement was made of the 

 speedy publication of " British Hepaticae," with 

 coloured plates, by Dr. Carrington, to be issued in 

 four parts, which were ultimately published, but 

 did not contain more than one-third of the British 

 species known, and the work abruptly closed. 

 Notwithstanding that the group is a small one, 

 with other attractions for students, no manual for 

 their use was to be found in the English language, 

 except the above-named illustrated catalogue of 

 nearly thirty years ago, and I have often been 

 urged to expand that " easy guide" into a " Hand- 

 book," and render it more complete and efficient, 

 but I had always hoped that Dr. Carrington would 

 complete his work, or issue an independent volume 

 which should be complete in itself. These hopes 

 having failed, with the death of my lamented 

 friend, I have, at length, with some reluctance, pre- 

 pared the following pages for the press. I have 

 felt diffidence, since for many y(^ars another branch 

 of the Cryptogam ia has absorbed so much of my 



