Periodical Works on Natural History. 299 
last that of 1814. That very many additions were made to our 
British Flora during these twenty-four years, it is quite unne- 
cessary to point out. (In the sister department of entomo- 
logy, the new discoveries, during the same space of time, 
must have been far more numerous.) ‘The botanical mine is 
still inexhausted, as new plants are constantly being added to 
our indigenous list; and these accessions, since the period of 
1814, are now found to be sufficient innumber to form a sup- 
plement to the above work, which, every British botanist must 
rejoice to know, has alr endly been commenced. 
The last advantage I shall mention, as attending the pe- 
riodical mode of publication, is, that it enhances, if I mistake 
not, the pleasure which the purchaser derives ‘from the work 
he takes in, and serves to keep up his interest in it. Count 
Rumford is said to have recommended, in some cases, the use 
of tough meat in preference to tender, on the ground that it 
prolonged the pleasure of eating. Without going the length 
which the philosopher did in this instance, I certainly think 
the quantum of enjoyment we experience from the sort of 
works now under consideration, is greatly increased by their 
being dealt out to us piecemeal, and at intervals. Few per- 
sons Ti ke to have the whole of their dinner, fish, meat, and 
pudding, heaped on their plate at once ; nor de I, for my part, 
like to see, on a journey, ten or twenty miles of road pelone 
me, in a uniform, monotonous, straight line, as Mr. Telford 
would have us. ‘These things are somewhat appalling ; and, in 
the one case, would be enough to take away one’s appetite, anid 
in the other to damp one’s ardour for travelling — for travel- 
ling, at least, for pleasure. Stx and thirty volumes (to have 
recourse again to English Botany for an example) coming upon 
one in a body aroulle: perhaps, be equally overpowering; the 
mind would be bewildered, and at a loss almost to decide 
what portions of the work to examine first; and certainly the 
whole has much better chance of being perused and tho- 
roughly digested, when presented to us at stated intervals, in 
the form of per iodical numbers. Then, too, there is the plea- 
sure of anticipation: there is something exceedingly agreeable 
in looking forward to the first of the month for the arrival of a 
new fasciculus of Flora , or Illustrations of , or the 
next Number, Mr. Editor, of your Magazine. A high degree 
of interest is excited by speculating what new or curious subs 
jects will next be introduced to us, or what old acquaintances 
we may expect to meet with, correctly described and figured, 
and illustrated, perhaps, with much additional information. 
Such, as it appears to me, are among the advantages of the 
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