Heport of the Edinburgh Botanical Society. 507 



recommended to the young gardener ; or to the parent who 

 wishes to infuse into his children a kind of taste and knowledge, 

 calculated, perhaps, to contribute more to their happiness than 

 any other, in whatever station of life, or part of the world, they 

 may be placed. 



Akt. II. Icones Plantariim ; or, Figures, ivith brief descriptive Cha- 

 racters and Remarks, of ?ieiv or rare Plants, selected from the 

 Author's Herbarium. By Sir William Jackson Hooker, K.H., 

 LL.D., F.R., A., and L.S., &c. ; and Regius Professor of Botany in 

 the University of Glasgow. Parts I. II. and III. ; 14s. each. The 

 Work to be completed with Part IV. 



This work consists, as the title implies, of engravings of 

 plants, with short technical characters and descriptive remarks. 

 The engravings are lithographic, and they are very characteristic- 

 ally executed. The three parts published contain each 50 8vo 

 plates, and 50 corresponding leaves of letterpress. The best 

 idea of the kind of plants figured will be obtained from the 

 following extract from the prospectus : ■ — 



" The rich collections, made in all parts of the world, which compose the 

 author's herbarium, will insure an ample supply of subjects ; among which, 

 preference will, of course, be given to those that are most remarkable for their 

 novelty, their structure, or their history ; particularly from the vast treasures 

 that have been sent to this country by Dr, Wallich and Dr. Wight, from the 

 East Indies ; by Colonel and Mrs. Walker, from Ceylon ; by the Messrs. 

 Cunningham, Baxter, Gann, and Lawrence, from Australia and New Zealand ; 

 by Messrs. Gillies, Tweedie, Cuming, Mathews, Bridges, &c., from South 

 America ; and by Messrs. Drummond, Douglas, and Tolniie, from the northern 

 part of the New World ; besides many collections of minor extent, but not 

 of less importance, on account of the rarity of the species, from other cele- 

 brated botanists and travellers. An ardent desire to promote the cause of 

 his favourite science has alone induced Sir W. J. Hooker to undertake this 

 work, certainly not the expectation of any pecuniary advantage ; for, even 

 should the publication meet with the success that his fondest wishes 

 might anticipate, yet the price set upon it is so low as to forbid any hope of 

 profit." 



There can be no question of this being one of the cheapest 

 botanical works ever pubHshed, and, at the same time, one of 

 the most original; as no plant is figured in it that has been 

 figured elsewhere. 



Art. III. First annual Report, Laivs, and Transactions of the Bo- 

 tanical Society of Edinburgh. Instituted March 17. 1836. Pamph. 

 Svo, 53 pages. Edinburgh. 



One of the characteristics of the present age is the formation 

 of provincial societies for the promotion of science, and the inter- 

 change of ideas between persons of similar pursuits. The good 



