4 ADDRESS OF THE EDITOR. [January, 



to as true and just. There are few who prefer others' eyesight 

 or observation to their own. But it is believed to be both a good 

 and a feasible suggestion^ and the Editor of the ' Phytologist' is 

 willing to aid in carrying it out. He will undertake to compare, 

 or cause to be compared, all such examples of critical plants (if 

 submitted to him), or of such plants as are doubtful or ambigu- 

 ous, or about which there is any prevalent discrepancy of opinion 

 or judgment, and he will cause the results of the said comparison 

 to be published in the only or chief periodical devoted to the pro- 

 gress of British Botany. 



The tim'd thing has also been recommended and desired by 

 several contributors and subscribers. It is that the ^Phytolo- 

 gist' should gradually become a medium for circulating the de- 

 siderates of its readers, or, in other words, should be used as a 

 means for effecting a change of specimens of British plants. As 

 it is desirable that the ' Phytologist' should be made extensively 

 useful, both for the sake of the readers and for the profit of the 

 proprietors, the above suggestion has already, to some extent, 

 been carried out. Where it is not convenient for the persons 

 who wish to exchange to do so directly, such exchange may be 

 effected through the pubhsher. When it can be effected directly, 

 it will be less expensive. It is advisable that those who wish to 

 exchange should state not only what plants they are in want of 

 [desideratce) , but also what specimens they have to supply in re- 

 turn for such as they require. It is also desirable, when the 

 ' Phytologist' is used as the vehicle of circulating their wants, that 

 these should be limited to not above a dozen names of plants for 

 any one insertion. 



The Editor desires this to be clearly understood, viz. that in 

 thus publishing his intentions of aiding all who wish to exchange 

 specimens of British plants, he has not the most remote inten- 

 tion of interfering with the legitimate functions of the Botanical 

 Society of London, neither of infringing upon its privileges, nor 

 of superseding it as a medium of public usefulness. His aim is to 

 be useful, though in a small way and at as small a cost as possible, 

 to those who may honour the ' Phytologist ' by employing it as 

 the medium for giving publicity to their wants. 



Some of the most influential friends of the ' Phytologist ' have 

 repeatedly suggested that a general index to the entire series 

 of the Journal, from its commencement in June, 1843, to July, 



