4 INTBODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS. 



It is needful to give this explanation of a seeming discre- 

 pancy between the three former volmnes of the Cybele 

 Britannica and this present fourth volume. In the for- 

 mer, the Phytologist was recognized and carefully con- 

 sulted up to the dates of printing. In this latter, it is 

 deemed safer to ignore the new series of Ihat Periodical, 

 as now (1855 — 8) scarcely belonging to the category of 

 scientific jiublications. A periodical printed for the pur- 

 pose of sale, as a trade speculation, cannot be conducted 

 on the same strict principles as one j)rinted for the pro- 

 motion of science. To unite the two objects, hy inter- 

 cepting blunders and twaddle, without repelling subscri- 

 bers, would require a very comjjetent and judicious Editor. 



So many subjects crowd upon attention in commencing 

 this fourth volume, that it becomes really difficult to 

 answer the questions, as to which of those subjects are to 

 be treated at any length, which of them can be slightly 

 noticed only, and which of them must of necessity be 

 passed over entirely ? References to the works of other 

 writers, where some of his toi)ics are treated in detail, 

 may often greatly assist an author who desires to abbre- 

 viate or curtail. But such assistance would here be 

 vainly sought ; no works available in this way being in 

 existence. The Cybele must thus cite and arrange its 

 own details, regarded from the geographic points of view. 

 And indeed only details can have permanent value at 

 present. Attempts at generalisation, so usually made in 

 conformity with the groups of systematic botany, can 

 have extremely little value until those groups are made 

 more settled and uniform. It is to the distribution of 

 species, not of groups, that attention should be given at 

 present ; and especially so in a local treatise. Hence the 

 resort to lists of species in this volume, as condensed 



