THE 
JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 
EDITED BY 
JAMES BRITTEN, K.C.S.G., F.L.S. 
LATE SENIOR ASSISTANT, DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, BRITISH MUSEUM. 
The Journal of Botany was established in 1863 by Seemann. 
In 1872 the editorship was assumed by Dr. Henry Trimen, who, 
assisted during part of the time by Mr. J. G. Baker and Mr. Spencer 
Moore, carried it on until the end of 1879, when he left England for 
Ceylon. Since then it has been in the hands of the present Editor. 
Without professing to occupy the vast held of General Botany, the 
Journal has from its inception filled a position which, even now, is 
covered by no other periodical. It affords a ready and prompt 
medium for the publication of new discoveries, and appears regularly 
and punctually on the 1st of each month. While more especially 
concerned with systematic botany, observations of every kind are 
welcomed. Especial prominence has from the first been given to 
British botany, and it may safely be said that nothing of primary 
importance bearing upon this subject has remained unnoticed. 
Bibliographical matters have also received and continue to receive 
considerable attention, and the history of many obscure publications 
has been elucidated. Every number contains reviews of new and 
important books written by competent critics : in this as in every 
other respect a strictly independent attitude has been maintained. 
While in no way officially connected with the Department of Botany 
of the British Museum, the Journal has from the first been controlled 
by those whose acquaintance with the National Herbarium has 
enabled them to utilize its pages for recording facts of interest and 
importance regarding the priceless botanical collections which the 
Museum contains. 
Until the beginning of the late War the Journal paid its way 
and even allowed a slight margin of profit; but during that period 
the subscribers were reduced in number, and the continental circula¬ 
tion almost ceased. It has now regained its position, but the in¬ 
creased cost of production, which has not as yet been substantially 
reduced, has resulted in an annual deficit which at one time became 
so serious that the continuance of the Journal was threatened. By 
the generosity of those who felt that its cessation would be a mis¬ 
fortune, especially for British botanists whose principal organ it has 
always been, the deficit has been met and an appeal is now made 
for an increased number of subscribers. 
