Frajicis's Little English Flora. 87 



the woodlice (Oniscus ^sellus), which nibble very often a whole sowing, and 

 against which the seedlings must be guarded with the utmost care. 

 § ] 8. Some other dangerous enemies to C'acteae are the following : — 



1. The red spider, which, when in abundance, can destroy the whole surface 

 of the plant ; and if not kill it, at least make it sickly. It generally ceases its 

 ravages in the open air, but not always ; and the only remedy against it seems 

 to be to strew it close over with sulphur powder, which will smother the 

 insect; and the sulphur will not injure the plant, if removed some days after 

 by washing or syringing. 



2. The bug (Coccus), a white and soft insect, is likewise very dangerous 

 to the plants, and I know no other remedy than that of picking it off carefully. 



3. The cochineal (Kermes), is kept very often on purpose for curiosity's 

 sake, on single opuntias. This insect increases sometimes so rapidly, that it 

 spreads itself over all the surrounding Cacteae, cereuses in particular, and 

 injures them. 



4. The small scale, which is very abundant on opuntias and cereuses, par- 

 ticularly on some of the winged kinds of the latter. This must be removed 

 repeatedly with a soft brush, so as to kill even the young ones, which are 

 often so small as scarcely to be seen. 



5. The mice are often more hurtful enemies to the Cacteae than any of the 

 preceding, and are not afraid even of the most spiny kinds. They have de- 

 stroyed me many a fine specimen, and even an Opuntia sulphurea, which has 

 very dense spines. The place where Cacteae have to stand must, therefore, be 

 well secured against mice. Even rats and bats attack them sometimes. 



REVIEWS. 



Art. T. The Little English Flora ; or, Botanical and 1 popular Ac- 

 count of all our common Field Flowers, with Engravings on Steel of 

 every Species. By G. W. Francis, Author of the " Analysis of 

 British Ferns," &c. 12mo, pp. 174, 14 plates engraved on steel. 



Mr. Francis is a young botanist, not more remarkable for his 

 love of the science and his knowledge of British plants, than 

 for his eagerness to communicate his enthusiasm and his know- 

 ledge to others. As an artist, he is also a very remarkable per- 

 son, having engraved the whole of the plates for this work, as well 

 as those for his Analysis of British Ferns, himself, and having 

 displayed in these engravings so much of the characters of the 

 plants as almost to entitle him to be ranked with Sower by. Mr. 

 Francis's object in the present work is — - 



" First, to invite the young to the examination of the ' Flowers of the Field,' 

 by pointing out the beauties they are likely everywhere to meet with ; that 

 thus an additional charm may be added to their rambles over the meads and 

 commons. Secondly, to induce a love for the science itself, by showing that 

 it is easy of acquirement, and that it yields instruction and delight, not merely 

 in our after progress, but even from our first commencement of its study." 

 (Pre/.) 



He has endeavoured to accomplish these objects — 



" By giving a plain, scientific, and popular description of all our common 

 wild plants, accompanying these with accurate steel engravings of every 

 species ; and introducing such anecdotes, remarks, and extracts, as the various 



G 4 



