224 
The Irish Naturalist. 
October, 
Whenever I turn over any of the 584 pages of this last work, 
I am fairly astounded at the marvellous waste of printing. 
There is on every page column after column of the numbers 
assigned to the counties, and alongside each number the full 
name of the county for which it stands — as an explanation of 
what the figures are meant to point out. And in Mr. R. 1,1. 
Praeger's Irish Topographical Botany ^^x^ are 400 pages 
printed after precisely the same method. Each plant 
has its column of the names of the counties in which it has 
been found, and to each county-name is prefixed the number 
by which Mr. Praeger would have botanists designate the 
county. If the columns of numbers were absent there would 
be less printing on each page, and surely the county names 
would at once locate the parts of Ireland and of Great 
Britain which the respective plants inhabit. I do not think 
the numbering of the counties affords any assistance to re- 
calling to one's mind their respective positions on the map. 
In the instance, for example, of, say, Primula elatior, the 
numbers are *' 19, 26, 29, 30," which convey no idea of locality 
to my mind, while at once I grasp the meaning of Essex N., 
Suffolk W., Cambridge, Bedford," which are the localities for 
this plant. 
In Watson's Topographical Botajiy there are 1,428 of these 
columns of explanation, be they shorter or longer, according 
to the circumstances of the distribution of each plant. And 
in Mr. Praeger's Irish Topographical Bota7iy there are 400 
pages of similar columns of explanation of what the numbers 
stand for as concerns Ireland ! 
Every time I open Watson I am more impressed with the 
difficulty created by his numbers. I can never forget the 
impression made on me the first time I opened his book, by 
his numbers for what he calls his "provinces," "sub-provinces " 
and "vice-counties." The county name without the prefixed 
number answers every purpose that a botanist can need. But 
Mr. Watson was not satisfied with his revolution of the 
appellations by which the counties are known, and he actually 
abolished the use of the word " county," for which he substituted 
" vice-county," having much the same meaning as the older 
word viscounty " ; and Mr. Praeger in his work abolishes 
" county " for the slightly longer word " division." And all 
