by * PREFACE. 
they are charming to the young, and in more advanced years we 
salute them for the remembrances they awaken—perhaps for graver 
reasons, for who can watch the annual return of the leaves and 
flowers and green herbage of spring without wonder and astonish- 
ment? Vegetation, considered in connection with the rest of 
animated creation, leads to the consideration of Gop the Creator. 
In contemplating the marvellous arrangements which rule the 
movements of life, in admiring the multiplied organs by means of 
which the vegetating functions are accomplished, the thoughtful 
mind necessarily rises from Nature to its Creator. 
The History of Plants which is now submitted to the reader is 
divided into four parts :— 
I. The Organography and Physiology of Plants, saaneteniiae 
under these heads the description of the essential organs which » 
enter into the composition of vegetables, and some explanations of 
the various functions performed by means of these organs. 
II. The Classification of Plants,—namely, the principles upon 
which the distribution of plants into particular groups rests; and 
along with this, brief sketches of the lives of the more eminent 
Botanists who have devoted themselves to this branch of the study 
of Plants. 
III. The Natural Families of Plants. In this section the Editor 
has departed from the original, being desirous of giving as complete 
a view of the Vegetable World as his limited space would permit, 
and according to the system of classification most received where 
the English language is spoken. While departing from his 
arrangement, however, the subjects which the Author had selected 
for more special illustration have been preserved. His idea was 
to make a selection of the more important families, describe a plant 
which was taken as a type of the order, and notice the most pro- 
minent species belonging to the group, with their properties ; this 
idea has been adopted and considerably enlarged upon. 
