EDITOR'S PREFATORY NOTE. 



Professor Keener has stated very succinctly, in the preface which he 

 has been good enough to write for the English edition of PJlanzenleben, 

 the main idea which guided him in the writing of that book. Consequently 

 little remains for me to add save a few observations on the book in its 

 present form. On the appearance of the original, the parts as they were 

 issued were widely scanned, and the work soon enjoyed a large circulation. 

 Here was a book at once attractive to the ordinary reader, and retaining 

 unimpaired its value to trained naturalists. The scale of the undertaking 

 was such that it was possible to give a presentment worthy of the subject. 

 Hitherto, though Astronomy, Geology, and other branches of natural know- 

 ledge had been long accessible to the ordinary reader in popular books of 

 the greatest value, this service had not been done for Botany. Long before 

 the issue of PJlanzenleben was complete, the idea of an English edition 

 suggested itself to me and to my friend, Mr. Walter Gardiner, of Cambridge. 

 It was my hope that we should, jointly, undertake its preparation. To my 

 great regret, Mr. Gardiner was prevented from co-operating by other duties ; 

 thus the whole responsibibty of this edition falls to my lot. To my 

 colleagues in this undertaking, Mrs. Busk and Miss Ewart, the chief credit 

 is due for this translation. Indeed, without their hearty collaboration, the 

 production of TJie Natural History of Plants would have been impossible. 

 In the main, the original text has been faithfully adhered to. The trans- 

 lation, though not everywhere precisely literal, never departs from the spirit 

 of the German edition. The Index to the complete work, together with 

 a Glossary, will be appended to the concluding volume. 



F. W. 0. 



