350 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 8. 
would restrict such recommendation so far as that we 
would have all the examples and illustrations of that 
study sought for amongst our native plants. To seek 
for these, and to form arranged collections of them; to 
have a catalogue, noting the place where found, and 
any particulars relative to each plant, are among the 
most interesting and useful of occupations. 
Thus, by degrees, and each degree pregnant with 
pleasure, any lover of plants may form a catalogue of 
those of them which can be found in his neighbourhood 
—a class of work of which the utility is too well known 
to require our advocacy, and of which we cannot refer 
to a better example than Swete’s recently-published 
Flora Bristoliensis.* 
To be extensively useful a Flora should be cheap, 
and the record of well-authenticated facts; it should 
state the soils and elevations where the plants are found; 
give clear and easily-recognised directions for finding 
the localities; have the plants systematically arranged; 
and be rendered doubly valuable by a copious index of 
names and synonvmes. All these desirable charac¬ 
teristics belong to Mr. Swete’s little volume. The plan 
of elevations, and the map of “ five miles round Bristol,” 
in a pocket of the cover, are excellent and good evidence 
that the convenience and wants of the student were well 
considered by the author. We have no doubt that he 
has felt the want of such aids, and is the better guide 
from having experienced what he would have prized by 
the way. 
The “ Introduction ” is not the least useful portion of 
the volume, and from it we will quote the following as 
an example:— 
cere, whilst the Onagracere abound on the Gritstone up¬ 
lands. Trefoils and the Vetches are abundant, so are the 
Umbelliferre and Rubiacre. The Compositre have not been 
worked so well as might have been wished ; but still a very 
fair portion are known to occur, most of the species of the 
genus Veronica abound, while many of the Snap Dragons 
must he considered as naturalized. The Endogenous tribes 
bear a very fair proportion, though some of the more rare 
and beautiful Orchids are absent. Owing to the large 
amount of marsh land, the Haloragiacere, Fluviales, Aracere, 
Juncacere, and Cyperacere, are very tolerably represented. 
The grasses also are numerous, though there are not many 
rare ones amongst them. Of the Filices a large number 
are present, and a few of Equisetacere. The Lycopods are 
entirely absent, as well as most of the Charas. 
“ There are few plants peculiar to the district, Arabis 
slricta being the only one that can be considered as an 
essentially local plant. The following may be enumerated 
amongst the rarer plants of the district:— 
LIMESTONE. 
Ranunculus parviflorus 
Hutcliinsia petrrea 
Draba muralis, 200 feet 
Diplotaxis muralis 
Reseda lutea 
Erodium maritimum 
Hippocrepis comosa 
Spirrea Filipendula 
Potentilla verna 
Sedum rupestre 
NEW RED 
Helleborus foetidus 
Vicia bythynica 
Trinia vulgaris 
Rubia peregrina 
Veronica spicata 
- -/8. hybrida 
Orobanche hederre 
Allium sphaerocephalum 
Seilla autumnalis 
Carex clandestina 
Gastridium lendigerum 
Bromus M adritensis, 90-200 ft. 
SANDSTONE. 
Sedum album 
Asplenium lanceolatum 
PENNANT. 
Epilobium lanceolatum I Campanula latifolia 
Campanula patula | Asplenium lanceolatum 
LIAS. 
Rosa systala. 
MARSHY rLACES. 
“ The distribution of plants is dependant, as has been 
before stated, on physical configuration, geological structure, 
and meteorological influence, and it will he seen from the 
previous remarks, that we have nearly every variety of such 
configuration and strata as are required by a large number 
of British plants ; our Flora is, therefore, as might be ex¬ 
pected, proportionately extensive, nearly two-thirds of the 
whole of the plants of England occurring in the district. 
Did bog land and sea coast occur, and were the altitude of 
some of our hills greater, we should probably possess a very 
considerable increase. These are mainly all the additions 
that are required to our small district, to render it a typical 
portion of Great Britain. Such a field ought, therefore, to 
afford great encouragement to the botanical student, being 
quite within the reach of all, and possessing every advantage 
and facility for field work. It is difficult to select one part 
more interesting to the botanist than another; the junior 
student may, perhaps, find Leigh Woods, St. Vincent’s 
Rocks, Filton Meads, and Glen Frome, more attractive, 
though the neighbourhood of Dundry, and St. George’s, 
Kingswood, has been least worked over, and will therefore 
afford a more likely field for new discoveries to the more 
I mature, observer. 
“ Several tribes of plants also will repay a little time 
spent in searching out their localities. The Rubi, Salices, 
| and Hieracia, have not been sufficiently looked for. The 
Carices of the neighbourhood also require much additional 
investigation, and it would seem probable that more of the 
Mints are to be found in the district than have been yet 
] reported. 
“The Ranunculacere are well represented, nearly the 
whole of the genus Ranunculus being found. Crucifer®, 
Caryophyllere, and Hyperiacere, claim a large proportion of 
our Floru. The Limestone is particularly rich in Gerania- 
Senebiera didyma Blupleurum tenuissimum 
Lepidium ruderale ' ; CEnanthe pimpinelloides 
Althrea officinalis ! Carduus pratensis 
“Most of these plants are sparingly distributed in other 
parts of England, and entirely absent from many of the 
counties. There are many other plants which are not very 
plentiful in the district, but may be easily found by a 
reference to the Flora, with a little patient investigation.” 
We have briefly advocated the study of Botany and 
of our native plants, and glad are we to be able to refer 
to a work just published, which we hail as a powerful 
coadjutor. We allude to Dr. Spencer Thomson's 
Wanderings among Wild Flowers .* It is a very alluring 
guide to systematic Botany, and to the plants especially 
to be sought for in each month. We know of no book 
that we would in preference place in the hands of a 
young person in whom we wished to excite a taste for 
studying plants. The following is a vivid sketch given 
of some of its pleasures by Dr. Thomson:— 
A BOTANICAL EXCURSION. 
“Hitherto, our botanical lessons may have taken our 
readers no further than their reading table or easy chair; 
but now we must beg them to change the slippers for walk¬ 
ing shoes, and good stout ones withal, and go forth with 
us into the fields in search of our practical experiences. 
Many a pleasant ramble will they have, if their experience 
should bo similar to the author’s; and, if they are in 
life’s spring-time, many a pleasing reminiscence for its 
after-time will they lay up for themselves, many a green 
i 
* “Flora Bristoliensis: illustrated by a map and two plates.” By 
E. H. Swete, M. 11. C. S., Lecturer on Botany at the Bristol Medical 
School. Hamilton, Adams, and Co., London, 1854. 
* “Wanderings among Wild Flowers; how to sec and how to gather 
them.” By Spencer Thomson, M.D., &c. Grooinbridgc and Sons, 
London. 
