: ee Fx oe an 
310 ‘ NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
The author has materially reduced the number of species ; accord- 
ing to the present Flora, the ns ve plants are for Mauritius, 869 ; for 
oe 338 ; for Rodriguez, 202; in all, 1058; of these the large 
proportion of 122 are here dedoribe or the first time. The interest- 
ing chibedcder of this native vegetation is further shown by the fact 
that m more than half, 536 species, are restricted to the Mascarene 
(the term is used to include Madagascar, &c.) Archipelago, and perhaps 
still more by the unusual relative proportion of the Natural Orders 
Arranged in the sequence of number of 1 aay the eight largest Orders 
stand thus: Filices 168 species, Orchide 7 Sipe ry 69, Cype- 
races 62, Rubiacez 57, 2 aga pea 45, Com mposite 43, Legumi- 
nose 41. The low position of the last two is cnpeoiilly worth 
sy De if 
vegetation is farther remarkable for the number of introduc- 
tions ; “ introduced trees, shrubs, and weeds have replaced the original 
vegetation to a greater ex tent than in any other part of the world ex- 
cept St. Helena.” No less than 269 of these are considered sufficiently 
well established to be oe in the present book. There are not 
a few others not here given which have nearly equal claims, and in 
many casesit isa are of ate: difficulty to arrive at a conclusion on 
the question of nat 
In the preface briet indications of the principal 9 and collec- 
tions from which the author’s knowledge of the botany of Mauritius 
has been derived are given. He might "tis advantageously extended 
his researches. Aublet, the first botanist of abilit ity who investigated 
Mauritius, where he lived for nine years (1752-61), is ee 
overlooked ; his collections are in the British Museum. Some notice 
0 
alfour's collections made in 187 ery fully represent the flora 
of this small island ; a full account of his gatherings is to be published 
by the Royal Society. 
are 5 new genera described : Hornea (Sapindacew) is Mauri- 
ose Medusagyne (Ternstroemiacee), from the Seychelles ; and Mathu- 
na (Turn rneracee)—already published in the Journ. Linn. Soc. xv 
p. ie (Rubiacez) and Tuanulepis (Asclepiades) are 
A practice in gen nifA which, if not new in bags jr ~— 
ese 
names appear an unnecessary additional piece of synonymy, and in the 
cases pena iy not specially appropriate, as in neither are the aggre- 
gates to which they refer restricted to the Mauritius 
The appearance’ of this Flora, which was indeed much wanted, 
caren codec Gena ound th plant 2 of interest in ee eve —. 
endemic there is apie pi i che o 
a § Sable’’ of: Contam: from whom is in the British Museum. 
is treated 
= © specimen from that island’? iti fens aby the author, who had not seen 
*. 
