THE PHYTOLOGIST. 

 1857. 



Address to the Readers of the PhytologisTj and specially to 

 the Contributors. 



The Editor is now divested of his plurality^ and^ being thus re- 

 duced to a unit, he means in the present Address to commune 

 with his supporters in the singular number. He hopes that this 

 unity of editorship may be a token of the unity existing among 

 British Botanists, and of their unity of purpose, desire, and la- 

 bours in the cause, and for the progress of British Botany, of 

 which the ' Phytologist' is the exponent, the humble, but zealous 

 advocate. He is not a little gratified that there is no occasion 

 for his adverting to the proceedings of the past year, except in 

 this one instance above mentioned, viz. the announcement of 

 the change of the term Editors into Editor. He is thankful that 

 he has to write about the present and the future, and not about 

 the past. 



The past year and the work done therein are both alike beyond 

 recall and control. The year 1856 is now to be reckoned as one 

 of " the years beyond the flood." The doings of the bygone year 

 are matters of historj^, and will be estimated by their eflects or 

 fruits. The contents of the previous numbers of this periodical 

 are appealed to as a proof that the botanists of Britain, or their 

 representatives, have done something for the cause of botanical 

 science during the period since the New Series of the ' Phytolo- 

 gist' was commenced. Any further statement or exposition of 

 past labours modesty forbids. 



The Editor, while he thinks it unnecessary to write about 

 former acts, which are before all his readers, begs leave very re- 

 spectfully to communicate his views and wishes in relation to the 



N. S. VOL. II. B 



