Recent Progress and present State of Systematic Botany. 349 
r. Bentham goes on to consider the principal classes of 
works in systematic botany, recently published or in progress, 
under the heads: 1. of Ordines Plantarum, or the like,—of 
not even Lindley’s talents and ardor could give vitality and 
currency during his life-time. But there is a part of this the- 
saurus which might be reproduced, with needful additions, to 
great advantage, namely that which relates to the abe Bie 
and uses of plants. This, well edited, would form a good-sized 
and surely a most useful volume,—a companion and supple- 
ment to the French work just mentioned, which is weak in this 
saparynes 
_ Under the second head, of Genera Plantarum, a good account 
1s given of the scope and plan of the work upon which Mr. Ben- 
tham is now engaged, in conjunction with Dr. Hooker. This 
publication began in 1862, and is now, it may be said, half 
. We may count upon having the second volume com- 
pleted before the present year is out. 
Under the third head, of Specis Plantarum, after more 
remarks upon De Candolle’s Prodomus, and its completion, or 
rather its close at the end of the Dicotyledons, Mr. Bentham 
raises the question whether it may not still be practicable to 
have a condensed Species or Synopsis Plantarum for all Pha- 
hogamous plants, within a single generation. phonse De 
andolle’s recent estimate and hopeless conclusion are familiar 
_ Mr. Bentham’s less discouraging view, the grounds of 
which are disclosed in the following extract, is largely based 
upon his own experience. 
