VI PKEFAUE. 



fuchsia, and of various tissues of EcMnocystis ; 

 Professor H. L. Smith, of Hobart College, New 

 York, contributed the sketch of the classification of 

 the Diatomaceae ; Dr. T. P. Allen furnished a synop- 

 sis of the classification of the Characese ; Dr. B. D. 

 Halsted also furnished material and notes upon our 

 native species of Characese ; my colleague, Professor 

 W. H. Wynn, kindly determined some of the more 

 difficult etymologies ; to my w^ife I am deeply in- 

 debted for eflicient aid in the laborious tasks of 

 proof-reading and indexing. 



Should this book serve to interest the student in 

 the study of plants as living things, should it succeed 

 in directing him rather to the plants themselves than 

 to the books which have been written about them, 

 should it contribute somewhat to the general read- 

 er' s knowledge of the structure and relationship of 

 the plants around him, the objects kept in view in its 

 preparation will have been attained. 



C. E. B. 



Apra 13, 1880. 



PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. 



IiT the second edition, which bore date of May 21, 1881, 

 but did not make its appearance until October of that year, 

 a few cliauges were made, the most important being that 

 relating (o the development of the embryo-sac, on page 420. 

 Tlie third edition appeared in June, 1883. In it a few cor- 

 rections were made, and the foot-note on page 49 was added. 

 Tiie present edition contains a few changes, and a number 

 of additional citations of works which have appeared within 

 the last year or two. 



C. E. B. 



University of Nebbaska, 



Lincoln, January 1, 1885. 



