Bibliographical Notices. 



217 



Scotch stations, near Edinburgh and Glasgow, being suspected by 

 Sir W. Hooker to be escapes from cultivation ; whilst the species is 

 exceedingly abundant in the west and south-west of Ireland in as 

 mild a climate as any part of the British Islands affords. 



Among the plants added on the authority of Mr. Gibson of Heb- 

 denbridge, we observe Stipa pennata, the feather-grass, said to be 

 found on Rumbald's Moor. We are not aware that this plant has 

 been found wild in Britain, since its alleged discovery in Long Slea- 

 dale, Westmoreland, by Dr. Richardson, published by Dillenius ; and 

 as nobody has met with it since, though it is so remarkable and con- 

 spicuous, either in the station given or elsewhere (and we have our- 

 selves, like many other botanists, searched Long Sleadale with 

 great care expressly with this object in view), it has generally been 

 concluded that Dr. Richardson fell into a mistake. The present dis- 

 covery is very interesting, if liable to no doubt, but it requires to be 

 supported by good evidence. Not inferior to this in interest is the 

 addition of Cinclidium Stygiam, a moss previously known as a native 

 of the north of Europe and America, and very lately announced as 

 British, which here, we believe, for the first time takes its place in 

 a native flora. 



Mr. Baines has arranged the plants according to the Natural Or- 

 der, adding an alphabetical and a Linnsean index. The stations 

 given of the rarer species are often very numerous, and with the as- 

 sistance of Professor Phillips's admirable sketch of the physical geo- 

 graphy of Yorkshire, will furnish interesting data to inquirers into 

 the distribution of our flora. Remarks are often added respecting 

 the insects that feed on particular plants. 



On the whole, the volume, which is very neatly printed by Mr. 

 Leyland of Halifax, himself well known as an intelligent and zealous 

 naturalist, and furnished with two illustrative maps, will be found a 

 useful and pleasing addition to the Botanical library, and does much 

 credit to the worthy author, in whose diligence, accuracy, and fide- 

 lity all who know him will confide. 



A Flora of Shropshire. By W. A. Leighton, Esq., B.A., &c. 1 vol. 

 8vo. 1840. Shrewsbury. 



We look upon the appearance of this work (which is now com- 

 pleted by the publication of the 3rd part) as being a great step in 

 advance in the progress of British indigenous botany ; for although 

 it is professedly confined to the description of the plants of a single 

 county, yet as clearly showing the incorrectness of the idea " that a 

 new Flora in the true sense of the term has become impossible," it is 

 indispensable to every botanist who desires to obtain a thorough 

 knowledge of our native plants. Since the publication of the * En- 

 glish Flora' no work has appeared in which all the species are care- 

 fully and originally described ; nor does any British book exist in 

 which the descriptions are sufficiently detailed for the present wants 

 of systematic botany ; for in this latter respect, the celebrated work 

 of Sir J. E. Smith is (from the date of its publication) necessarily 

 deficient. 



