REVIEWS. 
507 
tendence of the Professor of Botany in the University of Aberdeen. Dr. 
Dickie resided for many years in the north of Ireland during his tenure of 
the chair of Natural History in the Belfast Queen’s College. Hence he is 
no mean authority upon the subject of the Ulster Flora. This book is 
quite a model of its sort, and as it is in a great measure founded in 
principle on Watson’s “ Cybele Britannica,” our readers can fancy for 
themselves the character of the information it contains. Not only is the 
geographical distribution of each plant given, but where it has been possible, 
the vertical (bathymetrical) range has also been stated. Special attention 
is called to the nature of the soil, and in some instances we find that 
even a thermometrical examination has been made. The index of 
genera is a good one, and the supplementary list of plants “ possibly intro- 
duced ” shows that the writer is above those vulgar prejudices which lead 
local botanists into the cataloguing of species, which their reason should 
tell them are by no means indigenous. In the Introduction we are treated 
to a general sketch of the geological features of the province, and also to 
some considerations concerning the meteorologic conditions under which 
plants exist. Special notices have been given of the vegetation of some of 
the mountains, and altogether the “ Flora of Ulster” may be said to reflect 
credit on its compiler. 
HE author of the book which bears the above title has given us a 
pleasant production, though it is one in some measure of the fricassee 
stamp. He writes nicely, and being in addition possessed of some consi- 
derable general geological knowledge and literary culture, he has pro- 
duced an agreeably popularized medley of local strata and fossils, non- 
original speculations, and a large proportion of Pope, Shakespeare, Ten- 
nyson, Addison, &c. We find no fault with works of this kind, and 
we are certain that publishers are like unto us in this regard, so long 
as the volume is printed — as we have no doubt the present one was — 
at the author’s expense. We cordially agree with Mr. Taylor when he 
asserts that during the long period occupied by the processes of denudation, 
even “ the wisest of us cannot tell ” what took place, and that conse- 
quently many of our connecting links may have been lost during that 
epoch. And although we perceive that he has drawn rather extensively, 
upon the works of living writers, we do not think him highly reprehen - 
’ sible for that. There is no crime nowadays in literary larceny. We con- 
ceive, however, that Mr. Taylor need not have brought in Scripture to 
his aid so frequently ; it seems to us that the frequent introduction of 
passages from the Bible looks very like affectation, and however good the 
writer’s intentions may have been, it would have been better and wiser to 
* “Geological Essays and Sketch of the Geology of Manchester and 
the Neighbourhood.” By John Taylor, Member of the Council of the 
Manchester Geological Society. London : Simpkin & Marshall. 18(14. 
GEOLOGICAL ESSAYS, 
