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LITERAET NOTICES. 
the identity of species. It appears to "us that Sir W. Hooker studies Ferns chiefly in his herbarium, 
which no doubt contains most valuable and extensive materials ; but experience teaches us that many 
Ferns cannot be safely dealt 'with in the dried state, and that to understand them thoroughly fresh 
and perfectly-developed specimens should be examined. The study of imperfect specimens in natural 
history very often leads to the expression of artificial characters, extremely puzzling to the student ; 
and if this is true generally, it is especially so in reference to that class of plants -which forms the 
subject of these remarks. Nature in her own proper and complete condition — the living plant, that, 
wherever practicable, should be made the groundwork of scientific inquiry. In looking through the 
pages before us, we find some points in which we differ with the talented author, probably from the 
very fact to which we have just alluded. The genus Hypolepis is referred back to Pteridecs, whence 
Mr. Smith had, with good reason, as appears to us, removed it. The species of Cheilanthes, having 
punctiform sori, and distinct, free, roundish indusia, are here united to Hypolepis, in which, according 
to our view, the sori are covered, not by an indusium, but by an indusiforai crenule. Among others, 
Cheilanthes spectabilis of Kaulfuss is referred to Hypolepis, though it often possesses a continuous 
indusium, widely different from that assigned to an Hypolepis. The author rejects a reticulated 
venation as of itself affording a sufficient character for generic distinction, and thus at once quashes 
the genus Hewardia, and, as a consequence, some others ; and, in support of this view, reference is 
made to Adiantum Wilsoni, a Jamaica species cultivated at Kew, in which, on the same fronds, a free 
venation and a partially anastomosing venation are present. This evidence would appear decisive ; 
and the ease is by no means solitary. We think, however, a distinction should be made between the 
case in which a few veinlets here and there in some fronds anastomose, and that in which the reticu- 
lation is uniform over the whole of the fronds of the entire plant ; and hence, this latter being what 
occurs in Hewardia, we are not willing that the complimentary dedication of a genus to our friend 
Mr. Heward (to whom our own pages are under obligation) should in this case be set aside. The present 
part contains the descriptions of the whole of the beautiful and extensive genus Adiantum, the genus 
Lonchitis, and part of Hypolepis, and is illustrated by twenty plates, representing fifty-three species. 
No one interested in Ferns should fail to possess this Species Filicum as a text-book. 
Hogg's British Pomology (Groombridge). — Mr. Hogg promises in this work, which is being issued 
in numbers, to give the history, description, and classification of the fruits and fruit-trees cultivated in 
the gardens and orchards of Great Britain, with synonymes, references to figures, and so forth. 
Judging from the two first numbers now before us, this appears to be done with care. The book, in 
fact, is to be a description of fruits — all known fruits, we presume ; the most remarkable being accom- 
panied by outline figures. We shall be glad to see it go on and prosper, for it will form a reference- 
book, useful to all the various classes interested in the subject of fruit-trees, as teaching them both 
what to purchase and what to avoid. This latter consideration alone could justify the descriptions of 
all the interminable varieties of some of our fruits, nine-tenths of which might with advantage be 
consigned to the faggot pile. If we were disposed to find fault with the author, it would be that he is 
on too friendly terms with quotations from the Latin and French ; and not severe enough in his 
estimate of quality. We find upwards of sixty " first-rate" kinds, in an alphabetical enumeration of 
Apples, which as yet extends only as far as " Golden Pippin," besides a number of " excellent," as 
distinguished from " second-rate " sorts. 
Paul's Cultivation of Poses in Pots (Piper). — Mr. Paul's fine pot Roses, which we hope many of 
our readers had an opportunity of seeing at the Metropolitan Exhibitions last May, were a better 
criticism on this second edition of his instructions how to grow them, than any remarks we can make. 
We therefore merely state, that several woodcuts, illustrative of pruning, are now given ; and the 
author, as he tells us, has endeavoured to convert the hasty notes of the former edition into more 
solid matter. 
Donald on Land Draining (Orr & Co). This is the title of a shilling volume recently issued, and 
forming one of the series of " Richardson's Rural Handbooks." It gives a very clear and comprehen- 
sive view of the principles and practice of this all-important operation, and may be advantageously 
consulted by all who are interested in the practical amelioration of the soil. We shall endeavour to 
quote from it hereafter ; in the mean time, we gladly commend it not less for its valuable information 
than for its elegance and cheapness. 
Victoria Pegia (Reeve & Benhani). We have here a series of four magnificent plates, representing 
the different stages of the flower, and a series of dissections, of the Royal Water Lily, admirably 
drawn by Mr. Fitch, and accompanied by full historical and descriptive text, from the pen of Sir W. J. 
Hooker. The drawings themselves occupy a space of about twenty-one inches by fifteen, and 
< 13)1 represent the entire reduced plant, and the flowers full sized in different stages, one plate being devoted 
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