Scientific Reviews. 277 
cedented,—if, when the public ear was unprepared for such a tale, 
we were to declare the insult we have received, however frank our 
terms, we should not be believed. But the people know that any 
means would be resorted to for the purpose of shutting the Museum 
against a man anxious to learn and to communicate, and they will be 
the less surprised when a mistaken security led the Keeper to use 
language which was unworthy of him. Though we have a personal 
respect for the Professor, we shall not be thereby led to brook treat- 
ment, which must always be destructive of social harmony ; but shall 
ever assert the freedom of the mind, and the competence of all. 
A Flora of Berwick-upon-Tweed. By Grorcr Jounsron, M. D. 
&c. Vol. I. Phenogamous Plants. J. Carfrae & Son. Edin- 
burgh, 1829. 
Ir might, a priori, have been deduced from the anxiety which 
we have testified for the promotion of Natural History, joined to 
our habit of associating facts in that science with their geographical 
relations, that any work presenting a local interest would be con- 
sidered an acceptable offering to the shrine of our periodical labours ; 
and, independent of any errors the author may have fallen into, or 
any faults which we may have to correct, we shall always hold 
the example of such productions as worthy of imitation. Local 
Floras have long had an extensive circulation, and perhaps no 
branch of natural science is more worthy of possessing such ; but 
it is only till very lately that the actual utility of labours of this 
kind has been felt in its fullest extent. That knowledge was des- 
tined to progress with the gradual developement of physical geo- 
graphy, and the advance of natural systems towards perfection. 
Unfortunately in the present work, the most prominent of the 
practical results are debarred from easy access, from the tenacity 
with which the author (unable to break the shell of prejudice which 
confines his countrymen) has adhered to a system of little use 
but to decypher the names of plants. The utility of a local Flora 
lies, then, in its being adapted to promote the study of botany in that 
part of the country which it describes, and in ascertaining, with 
minuteness, the vegetation of a particular district. 
The highest generality to which we can arrive in botany is to as- 
certain the primitive centres of vegetation: these are generally 
high uplands or mountain chains. The next point of interest is the 
distribution or the predominance of species, genera, or families, in 
different zones or climates. This is now completely accomplished 
by means of what has been called the arithmetic of plants, or their nu- 
merical quantities. It is true that, in Dr. Johnston’s work, we might. 
ascertain this point by bringing all his species into their natural ar- 
rangement, and comparing the numerical product of each family ; 
but we protest against the student having the laborious task of com- 
