1858.J ON MURAL OR WALL PLANTS. 527 



Dictionary^ in particular. To prevent disappointment^ I will 

 enter a few of the deficiencies of the latter in the derivations 

 of the names of our British plants. 



It does not profess to give the origin or etymology of spe- 

 cific names, though there is as much trouble in accounting for 

 their application as there is in the case of the names of the 

 genera. We have no reason to find fault with this, nor should 

 we find fault with the omission of several names of genera and 

 orders; we only draw attention to the fact to prevent disap- 

 pointment. 



There are here entered only a specimen, or such words as 

 were looked for and were not there. These are not all the 

 deficiencies, but only such as I noticed. Several new names, 

 given to new things, ai'e necessarily absent, because neither the 

 plants nor the names were known here when the work was 

 published, nearly twenty years ago. The following are names 

 of an older date. Some of them are in Paxton, but ai'e not 

 explained, viz. Athyrium, Arnoseris, BJysmus, Ceterach, Gym- 

 •nogramma, Honkenya, Lastrea [Lepigonum?), Lentibulacece, Lep- 

 turus, Mtilgedium, Monesis, Obione, Oporinia, OnagracecB {Sime- 

 this?). These are given as a sample, not as a complete list, 

 which would be a laborious work and of no use. Anacharis 

 was unknown when the "^ Botanical Dictionary ' was published, 

 and possibly one or two of those in the above list. 



It is to be hoped that some learned reader of the ' Phytolo- 

 gist,^ who has leisure, Avill at a future time supply the deficiencies 

 of Sir Joseph Paxton^s ' Botanical Dictionary.' It would be de- 

 sirable that the specific as well as the generic names should be 

 explained in connection with their etymology. 



I am, Sir, yours, etc.. 



Anonymous. 



ON ]\aTEAL OR WALL PLANTS. 



A few I'cmarks on wall plants will not perhaps be impertinent, 

 especially as one of the objects of the ' Phytologist ' is to give 

 a series of articles on the habitats of the British plants. A 

 preliminary remai'k on the exact sense in which " habitat " is 

 employed may be useful to the younger readers, of which the 



