nat PREFACE. 
To his botanical friends and correspondents too numerous 
to record here, he takes this opportunity of returning most 
sincere thanks for the great assistance they have rendered 
to him by the communication of valuable suggestions, ob- 
servations, and specimens. 
The present edition has been carefully revised, so as, if 
possible, to keep pace with the rapidly advancing knowledge 
of British plants; the description of several of the more 
difficult genera have been altogether remodelled and an ac- 
count of the Characeze is added. 
The portability of the volume being one of its most valu- 
able qualities, it has been found impossible to accord to the 
wishes of some young botanists by prefixing to it a short 
Introduction to Botany, or a Glossary of botanical terms ; 
since sufficient space could not have been afforded to them 
to admit of their possessing that fullness and detail without 
which they would be worse than useless. Students are 
recommended to make themselves well acquainted with the 
contents of some good introductory work, such as Balfour’s 
Class-Book of Botany, which is now in the press and will 
contain a “copious glossary ;” Henfrey’s Outlines; or 
Gray’s Botanical Text-Book. 
It is hoped that those who use this book will favour the 
author with information of any (even the slightest) addi- 
tion, correction or alteration that may appear to be neces- 
sary, in order that it may be employed in the preparation 
of a future edition, as it is only through such assistance 
that the Flora of an extensive country can attain to even a 
moderate degree of perfection. 
A few terms are used in this edition which may not as 
yet have become familiar to botanists, and it is therefore 
