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LVIII. Notices respecting New Books. 



Flora Devoniensis': or A descriptive Catalogue of Plants, growing wild 

 in the County of Devon, arranged both according to the Linncean and 

 Natural Systems, with an account of their geographical distribution, 

 8(c. By the Rev. J. P. Jones and J. F. Kingston. 



UNDER this title we have to introduce to the notice of our readers a 

 Flora of one of the most interesting of our English counties, dis- 

 tinguished, as it is justly observed, " by the extent of its coasts, the 

 variety of its soils, and the diversity of its surface." We extract from 

 the Preface a passage which will best show the nature of the under- 

 taking : 



" The work is divided into two parts ; the first exhibiting the Lin- 

 nsean,the second the Natural method of arrangement : under the latter, 

 the different orders of the cryptogamous plants will be found care- 

 fully distributed according to the latest investigations and discove- 

 ries A minute attention has been paid to the essential characters 



of the genera and species, and any thing like repetition or superfluous 

 observations studiously avoided. The references have also been 

 limited as much as possible to a few of the best and most accessible 

 works on the subject, and have only occasionally been increased 

 where any confusion or discrepancy in the names or descriptions seems 

 to have obviously required it ; so that we trust the arrangement of 

 the whole has been rendered as simple and concise as it could well 

 be, without incurring the charge of deficiency or obscurity. 



" To complete the subject, the relative proportions of the different 

 natural families and their geographical distribution in the county 

 have been added at the end of the second part." 



In addition to this we may add, that the localities of the different 

 plants appear to be very full and precise, and to have received all the 

 attention that so important a feature in works of this sort requires. 



A good clear outline of the extent and geological character of the 

 county, and summary views of vegetable geography generally, and 

 that of Great Britain in particular, are introduced, as well as a com- 

 prehensive statement of the number of species in each natural family 

 included in the County Flora, and the relative proportions they bear 

 to each other ; thus clearly illustrating the vegetable character of the 

 county, and showing its riches and deficiencies ; whilst at the same time 

 useful data are given for instituting more general comparisons and 

 drawing more comprehensive deductions. 



We could have wished that the authors of this work, as they follow 

 Sir James Smith in their general arrangement, had consulted his last 

 work, " The English Flora :" but we do not perceive a single reference 

 to this performance, nor to his new genera or species. We would 

 not have quarrelled with them if they had rejected his alterations after 

 due examination ; but we really fear they have not looked into his 

 more recent labours, and that they have contented themselves with 

 " English Botany," and some early edition of his " Compendium." 



We think too they have not acted discreetly in printing twice over 

 the specific characters and habitats of the phsenogamous plants in 



order 



