436 REVIEWS. 
A List of Plants growing wild in North Devon. Compiled by 
the Rev. T. F. Ravensuaw, M.A. 
We cannot better describe the character of this ‘ List’ than in 
the words of its Reverend Compiler :—“ The following List of 
Plants growing wild in North Devon, though it by no means 
pretends to be a catalogue of our entire Flora, will, it is hoped, 
be found of some assistance to the botanical tourist, who, with a 
little perseverance, may hope to be rewarded with not a few . 
prizes for his herbarium. ‘Till within comparatively a few years, 
the district seems to have been but little searched; for a careful 
perusal of the ‘ Flora Devoniensis, published in 1829, resulted in 
the acquisition of scarcely a dozen names.” It should be ob- 
served that this ‘ List’ forms a portion of a ‘ Local Guide-Book 
to Iifracombe ;’ and as the article ‘ Botany’ is printed on the 
193rd and following pages, it may be inferred that other subjects 
of natural history are noticed. The compiler further says :—“The 
former edition of the ‘North Devon Guide’ contained a local 
list, which was revised by J. Ralfs, Esq., and which has formed 
the groundwork of the present. To this the compiler has added 
the contents of shorter lists, recently furnished by P. H. Gosse, 
Esq., Rev. C. Kingsley, Mrs. Ludlow of Morthoe, Rev. H. 
Anders, Rev. J. M. Chanter, and others, as well as many plants 
which have fallen under his own observation.” The List compre- 
hends upwards of five hundred plants,—a respectable flora for a 
corner of Devon. It should be observed that the catalogue is 
not one of the “entire flora” of the district. For example, 
there are only three plants of the Pondweed family noticed, only 
18 of the Cyperacee, 21 of the Graminee, 4 Juncacee. Accord- 
ing to the proportions generally prevalent between the number 
of species in distinct Orders, there might be expected about ten 
Potamogetons and 8 species of the Order Juncacee, about 60 in 
the Order Cyperacee and 70 in Graminee. The plants of the 
Goosefoot (Chenopods) and the Dock families are also probably 
underrated at 12 and 14 respectively. In the List there are only 
six of the former and seven of the latter. 
We hope our amiable correspondent, who has sent us this List, 
will not for a moment surmise that we are depreciating his con- 
tribution to the knowledge of local botany. Far from this; we 
are obliged to every contributor who enlarges our acquaintance 
