he 
Dec. 30, 1869] 
MA TORE 
and better executed work of the kind it has never been 
our good fortune to meet with, and it at once places its 
author first in the rank of English writers of Botanical 
- Class-books. 
Professor Oliver states in the preface that his book is in 
__ substance his “Lessons on Elementary Botany,” adapted 
for use in India: but we find that it is this and a great 
deal more ; for after following that excellent model in the 
part that relates to the structure of plants and the functions 
of their organs, a larger portion of the book is taken up 
with concise descriptions of 116 principal natural orders of 
India, illustrated by a clear analysis of the parts of a very 
common Indian flower, insomuch that, if we were asked 
what is the best text-book fora student in this country who 
wishes to acquire more knowledge of botany than is need- 
ful for a mere pass examination, without at all setting aside 
at 
od 
any 
A 
Ni 
Vertical Section of flower of Nedinbiunt, showing the hypogynous stamen 
and carpels singly immersed in a turbinate receptacle 
the former work just mentioned, we do not know any to 
which we could so conscientiously direct attention, as 
almost all the plants in question may be easily found in any 
good botanicgarden. Attached to each of the descriptions is 
a schedule of the floral characters on Henslow’s plan, and 
a brief sketch of the principal matters of interest, structu- 
ral, physiological, and economic, to be observed in Indian 
plants of the order, whilst the greater part are further 
accompanied by beautiful and original drawings and 
diagrams by Fitch, which delineate the floral organs 
graphically and naturally, We may add, too, that the 
more advanced and inquiring student has his attention 
occasionally directed to matters on which additional in- 
’ formation is desired ; as, for example, in the genus Drosera, 
where our author writes: “Some species exhibit a low 
sensibility or irritability in the leaves, which curl upon 
particles placed on their glandular hairs. Is this the case 
with Indian species? and do they appear to discriminate 
between organic-and inorganic matter offered to them?” 
Or, again, in Campanulaceze: “Two small flowered 
Campanulas of Northern India exhibit the curious phe- 
nomenon of dimorphic flowers, Besides the flowers of 
usual form, there are smaller ones about the size of 
_ coriander seeds, which never open, but which nevertheless 
mature abundant seed. The latter must necessarily be 
. self-fertilised, while the flowers of ordinary form are often, 
if not always, crossed by the pollen of other flowers of the 
same species. The part which these hermetically-sealed 
Ad 
flowers play in the economy of plants is not yet well made 
out. 
They are found in isolated species and genera 
belonging to widely different natural orders, and it would 
be worth while to look for 
fresh examples amongst 
Indian weeds.” 
We consider such sugges- 
tions ofextreme importance, 
as. some stimulus of this 
kind is wanted to urge 
students to something more 
than the requirements of the 
passing time. It is notori- 
ous that though great acute- 
ness is often shownamongst 
the higher proficients in 
botany who come. before 
public examiners, not one 
in a hundred goes a step 
beyond what is wanted to 
secure a certain class or 
scholarship. There must, 
we imagine, be something 
in the style of public teach- 
ing on such subjects which 
seems to check all real 
interest, much less to excite 
a spirit of love or enthu- 
siasm for science itself, 
without which it is quite 
certain that we shall have 
Sacrep Lotus (J i 
sum), about. one-tenth to one- 
fifteenth natural size 
no new fellow-workers. 
In conclusion, we would recommend a close study of 
the precision of our authors descriptions, and the clear- 
ness and terseness of his diction, to the writers of 
Screw Pine (Paxdanus), showing aérial adventitious roots 
botanical text-books, as worthy of their imitation, These 
are qualities which improve the mind of the pupil more 
