REVIEWS. 
45 
The brilliant discoveries which stud, at short intervals, the career of. some 
men, are not so much the result of fortunate coincidences, or superior 
abilities, as they are the legitimate offspring of habits of close observation, 
carefully and systematically pursued; and we believe that, to the earnest 
student, there is no department of natural science whose unknown trea¬ 
sures do not exceed the wildest imaginings of her most enthusiastic 
votaries. 
The student who would seek a close acquaintance with nature, must toil 
long, and watch anxiously; bright glimpses will often illumine his path, 
tempting him to stray into theories which his severer judgment would 
condemn; but as he struggles onward his pleasures will gather at each 
step more thickly around him, while the sense of his own ignorance will 
deepen in contemplating the wondrous wisdom of Him who made all the 
things of beauty by which he is surrounded, and whose contemplation fills 
his inner soul with joy. 
The Ferns of Great Britain. Illustrated by John E. Sowerby, Pro¬ 
prietor of Sowerby’s English Botany. The descriptions, synonyms, &c., 
by C. Johnston, Botanical Lecturer at Guy’s Hospital. London: J. E. 
Sowerby, 3, Mead-place, Lambeth. 1855. 8vo. Pp. 88, with 49 
plates. Full coloured, price £1 7s. ; partly coloured, 14s. 
Not very long since we introduced to our readers’ notice the first part of 
the volume before us, with the intention of bringing it again before them 
when the work was complete. This we have now the pleasure of doing, 
and it affords us much gratification to be able to say, that the volume now 
complete has kept up the promise of its first number. 
This work naturally divides itself into two distinct heads ; the descrip¬ 
tions by Mr. Johnston, and the illustrations by Mr. Sowerby. An average 
of one page of letterpress is devoted to the description of each species. The 
descriptions are neatly written and have appended to them instructions for 
cultivating the ferns. The nomenclature is somewhat of a puzzle to us, 
and the preface affords us no hints by which we could arrive at a conclu¬ 
sion. One thing is certain, the author has not adopted that proposed by 
Mr. Newman in his third edition of the u British Ferns.” We expected 
that, this being an illustrated work, we should have had every species that 
had any claims to such, figured ; but we shall presently show our readers 
that this is not the case, and that Mr. Johnston has not been a writer 
of descriptions to introduce illustrations, but claims notice, if not as a 
