428 On the construction 
and arise from the usual situation and frequency of the particular 
species being copied verbatim from a general Flora, and carelessly 
applied to a local tract in utter defiance of fact. The same sort of 
mistakes exist as to the times of flowering, through authors copying 
their intimations of such from the works of others, and then pub- 
lishing them as if set down on their own observation. Fifthly., the 
general distribution of each species, and the localities of the rarer 
ones, are to be precisely shown. These are commonly indicated 
with more care and accuracy than is bestowed upon other matters, 
in our local Floras ; but there is wide room for improvement even 
here. In addition to stating the known localities for the rarer spe- 
cies, authors should particularly distinguish those places in which 
they have themselves seen the plants growing, as well as those sus- 
pected to be erroneous, or in which the species has become extinct. 
Facility for procuring specimens is one of the principal advantages 
to be gained from having the localities especially pointed out. This 
is little aided by the vague indications of a species growing " near" 
a particular town or village, unless it be so frequent that a person 
is almost certain to see it when arriving at the town or village men- 
tioned. For guiding to a very local species, a fixed point adjacent 
to its locality, with the bearing and distance of the latter from such 
point, ought to be specified. We are aware that vague directions 
are sometimes given with the express design of preventing success 
to one seeking the plant, from the pretended or, silly if not pre- 
tended fear lest species should be eradicated. They might as 
well be eradicated as not be found ; and of what consequence is it, 
if a species do disappear from our soil ? It is the sheer and selfish 
babyism of the old virtuoso, not the expanded conceptions of the 
man of science, or the dictates of an enlarged and liberal mind, that 
whispers so paltry an excuse for studied concealment. Sixthly, We 
should recommend the history of the species to be attended to. 
Under this head, we would include the possible or probable intro- 
duction of the species into the tract under consideration ; changes 
that have occurred in its comparative scarcity or abundance ; alte- 
rations in character, size, or general appearance, in connection with 
differences of situation and season. The degree of probability that 
a species, especially if a rare one, has been originally introduced by 
human agency, we regret to say, is sometimes misrepresented by 
local botanists. Botanical writers, too, often exhibit a great desire 
to swell their lists of species by any means, and to exalt themselves 
or their friends into discoverers of new species or localities. Strict 
impartiality is scarcely compatible with the existence of such wishes, 
