xni] GLAMORGANSHIRE: NEATH 193 



there were a very large number of these, including many of 

 our most beautiful and curious flowers, and I felt that I must 

 get some other book by which I could learn something about 

 these also. But I knew of no suitable book, I did not even 

 know that any British floras existed, and having no one to 

 help me, I was obliged to look among the advertisements of 

 scientific or educational publications that came in my way. 

 At length, soon after we came to Neath, David Rees happened 

 to bring in an old number of the Gardeners Chronicle, which 

 I read with much interest, and as I found in it advertise- 

 ments and reviews of books, I asked him to bring some more 

 copies, which he did, and I found in one of them a notice of 

 the fourth edition of Lindley's " Elements of Botany," which, 

 as it was said to contain descriptions of all the natural 

 orders, illustrated by numerous excellent woodcuts, I thought 

 would be just the thing to help me on. The price, iOf. 6d., 

 rather frightened me, as I was always very short of cash ; but 

 happening to have so much in my possession, and feeling 

 that I must have some book to go on with, I ordered it at 

 Mr. Hayward's shop. 



When at length it arrived, I opened it with great expecta- 

 tions, which were, however, largely disappointed, for although 

 the larger part of the book was devoted to systematic 

 botany, and all the natural orders were well and clearly 

 described, yet there was hardly any reference to British 

 plants — not a single genus was described, it was not even 

 stated which orders contained any British species and which 

 were wholly foreign, nor was any indication given of their 

 general distribution or whether they comprised numerous or 

 few genera or species. The inclusion of all the natural 

 orders and the excellent woodcuts illustrating many of 

 them, and showing the systematic characters by dissections 

 of the flowers and fruits, were, however, very useful, and 

 enabled me at once to classify a number of plants which had 

 hitherto puzzled me. Still, it was most unsatisfactory not to 

 be able to learn the names of any of the plants I was observ- 

 ing, so one day I asked Mr. Hayward if he knew of any 

 book that would help me. To my great delight he said he 



VOL. I. O 



