Bibliographical Notice. 345 
seemed to indieate any thing like certainty on which the student 
could rest securely. Professor Henfrey was well aware of this, 
and says expressly in his preface that, * though his own labours 
have been chiefly in the field of physiological botany, he quite concurs 
with the opinion expressed by the dist tinguished authors of the 
‘Flora Indica,’ who believe that disservice is done to the cause of 
botany by o ttention of students in th 
the abstract | parts yof the science." The editor has equally felt it 
with the Professor, whose views he has thoroughly carried out. 
It is perhaps matter of regret that the whole work was not 
re-written ; and, in point of fact, Dr. Masters's labours have been 
far greater pes they would have been had the treatise been entirely 
al. 
origina. 
As regards the systematic part of the work, Dr. Masters has not fol- 
lowed the example of Bentham and Hooker’s ‘Genera,’ in uniting such 
natural orders as Geraniaces, Oxalidex, and Balsaminex ; Sapindacee 
and iod pon ; Saxifragee and Ribesism ; while Parnassia is referred 
caceæ, instead of Saxifragez. "In the present condition of 
systematic botany authors may very reasonably differ, though our 
wn feeling is rather for what has been called the practice of “lum 
um ? than for that of splitting. In one point we regret that Henter 
has been followed, and with the praise that his arrangement is * 
na i 
do with Agarieacez ; still less have Tuber, Helvella, and Morchella 
the slightest pretension to be classed amongst Exidiaces, the genus 
Exidia itself being a singularly unfortunate selection as indicative 
of the group to which such genera as Polyporus belong. The Tre- 
melline, of which Eaidia is a member, ought certainly to form an 
precisely the same ; and it is absolutely impossible to distinguish in 
all cases Verrucaria from Spheria, the only distinctive mark (of 
presence of gonidia) being wanting. We greatly prefer, as has 
i” making Lichens and Fungi two members of one sg amm 
"us 
dition will in all probability soon be called for, and we 
S. iiem that the interesting subject of the peculiarities of in- 
sular floras should be more largely treated than in the two short sen- 
the work will meet with the onee aent a and that it 
will be generally recognized as one of the most use seful elemen tary 
works, especially where the cleats object is | peanaking more than 
