Bibliographical Notices. 379 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



The British Flora, comprising the Phcenogamous or Flowering Plants 

 and the Ferns. The 6th edition, with additions and corrections, 

 ^c. By Sir William Jackson Hooker, K.H., LL.D. &c. &c., 

 and George A. Walker-Arnott, LL.D. &c. i&c. London, 

 Longman and Co., 18.50. Pp. 601. 



The appearance of this new edition of the ' British Flora ' has been 

 expected with considerable interest. Since the last edition was pub- 

 lished, British botany has advanced at a much greater pace than du- 

 ring the preceding years : the vast number of new species, real and 

 supposed, which have been added to our lists, sufficiently indicates 

 the increased activity with which the science has been pursued ; and 

 a greater attention to sound scientific principles as well as to minute 

 accuracy of investigation has been displayed, along with a more 

 hearty disposition to recognise and profit by the labours of foreign 

 botanists. It is no wonder then that many have been anxious to see 

 how such able and distinguished men as Sir W. J. Hooker and Dr. 

 Walker- iVrnott would deal with this great accumulation of new matter, 

 especially as they have written scarcely anything bearing on British 

 botany since the former edition, although more works than one 

 similar to the present have been published by others. Our list of 

 editors includes the name of the author of one of these publications, 

 and some persons may perhaps think it strange for us to notice what 

 may be considered a rival book in other than general terms. We 

 might indeed feel some such delicacy if the difference between the 

 two works consisted merely in discrepancy of personal opinion re- 

 specting this or that plant : but, as the case now stands, we feel none, 

 since they are written on totally different principles, and we are able to 

 merge the authors in the theories which they respectively adopt. We 

 would on no account stir up personal contention between three friends 

 of science and of each other : but we do not shrink from taking up 

 the gauntlet in an amicable controversy, and inviting the botanical 

 public to listen to the arguments on both sides, and to give their sup- 

 port to whoever shall seem to them to bear the greatest weight of 

 reason. This 6th edition of the 'British Flora' is unquestionably 

 very superior to its predecessors. The volume has been reduced in 

 bulk, and made more portable and compact, though still rather thick 

 for field use. This is effected partly by the employment of a smaller 

 type, and partly by a judicious pruning of the more wordy and irre- 

 levant remarks at the end of the account of each species. The de- 

 scriptions themselves however have been shortened in very few in- 

 stances, and very frequently they have been lengthened. This is 

 especially observable in the case of the Natural Orders : and there 

 are numerous traces of the attention which Dr. Arnott is well known 

 to bestow upon this branch of botany. We have been especially gra- 

 tified by noticing the great increase of accuracy and precision through- 



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