PKEFACE BY THE AUTHOR. 



THIS book is intended chiefly for those who, without desiring 

 to become botanists by profession, wish nevertheless to be- 

 come acquainted with the elements of scientific structural 

 botany. It will likewise introduce the beginner to the various 

 methods of microscopical manipulation. 



The study of vegetable structure is especially favourable 

 as an initiation into the use of the microscope ; and any one 

 whose future career will require command over this instru- 

 ment should commence with the study under the microscope 

 of vegetable anatomy. 



The manual is divided into thirty-two chapters, each of 

 which is intended to provide materials for several hours' prac- 

 tical work in the laboratory. The earlier chapters are easy, 

 and the difficulties to be encountered increase almost con- 

 tinuously up to the last chapter. The first chapter assumes 

 on the part of the worker entire ignorance as to the use of 

 his instruments, but nevertheless assumes the possession of 

 some general botanical knowledge. With this elementary 

 preparation the beginner ought to be able, by the diligent use 

 of this book alone, to acquire a tolerably broad knowledge 

 both of vegetable structure and of the methods of micro- 

 scopical work. 



The objects for study have been so selected that most can 

 be obtained with comparative ease. In many places I have 

 recommended the use of plants preserved in alcohol, as the 

 worker is thus rendered independent of the time of year. As, 

 however, the objects may need to be collected even months 

 before being used, the student ought carefully to consult a 

 special list of plants or portions of plants needed for his 

 work, and which ought to be collected at some given time 



258274 



