Remarks on the Flora Scotica of Dr Hobkei*. 
and many others less general. To have Sbilie regard to thdS0 
in marking habitats would be absolutely necessary. Nor is it 
the case that every plant grows in a similar situation in all coun- 
tries. Hence error might arise. In marking the elevations of 
plants, the philosophical botanist might derive much useful in- 
formation from comparing the altitudes in various latitudes^ 
But the Flora of any country requires an accolint of its geogra- 
phical limits, of its surface and soil, climate, and other parti- 
culars, prefatory to the list or description, which would preclude 
repetitions and verbosities in the accurate describer. The days 
are gone by, when a mere list of plants was satisfactory to the 
botanist, and we now require something more philosophical. It 
might be mentioned also, that the nudity of the science has ren- 
dered it less useful than it might be made, and has prevented many 
from bestowing a portion of their time upon its cultivation. 
What should we think of medical science, were it merely an ar- 
rangement and description of diseases, such as we see in systems 
of nosology, with a few brief and unsatisfactory notices regard- 
ing the variety produced by temperament, idiosyncracy, climate, 
and season of the year ? Yet what has botany been, but the 
parallel of this ? 
The frequency of occurrence should always be noticed * and 
when the plant is rare, it has been the custom to mention locali- 
ties, which brings us to that subject. The localities of the Flo- 
ra Scotica of Dr Hooker, must certainly have cost the author 
much trouble in collecting them ; yet they are less numerous 
than we anticipated. The deficiencies in this respect come 
under three heads. 1^^, When plants rather common are 
mentioned as rare. 2d, When too few localities of very rare 
plants are given. And here it is necessary to remark, that ^ 
country, previously to describing its vegetables, should be divid- 
ed into districts; a practice fraught with many advantages. And 
this leads to a third division, namely, of plants common in cer- 
tain districts, but rare or wanting in others. Of the first kind, 
it does not appear that there are many examples in the work, 
that might not be referred to the third. Belonging to the second 
division are numerous species, of which any botanist who has 
travelled extensively in Scotland could particularize localities not 
