532 Retrafpec? of German Literature....Natural Hiftory, [Sup 
obitinacy by your untimely zeal of con- 
verting them mto angels, they will be- 
come pious and-good without your inter- 
ference: and if you willl ceafé to render 
them unhappy by your unlimited defre 
of procuring happinefs, they will foon 
learn how to be happy without you. In- 
fead of your multiplied arts contrived 
for their apparent advantage, teach them 
the only and much greater. art, namely 
that of avoiding difadvantages and dan- 
gers, and you may expect with confidence, 
that nature, almoft without a guide will 
-accomplith the reft.”” 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
As a counterpart to Mr. Stackhoufe’s 
Jate work on the marine plants growing on 
the Britith coafts, intitled «*Negeis Britas- 
#ica,” &c. with 12 coloured plates, fo- 
lic, we are happy to announce the follow- 
ing curious publication, which has lately 
appeared at Niwnberg: & Icones fucorum 
cum charadieribus fyftematicis, [pnonymis 
auclorum et defcriptionibus novarum Spe- 
cierum.” (Latin and German) By E. J.C. 
EsPeR, Door and Profeffer of Philofo- 
phy at Erlang. No. I. 54 Pp. quarto, 
with 24 plates. Both authors appear to 
have been unacquainted with each other’s 
undertaking, when they devoted their 
time and labour to the inveftigation of the 
very complicated family of cryptogamic 
plants ; the principai thare of merit, how- 
ever, is due to Mr. Stackhoufe, who has 
furnifhed us not only with elegant and 
accurate plates coloured frem nature, but 
likewife given the moft fatisfactory de- 
deicriptions of the plants themfelves ; 
while the German editor has colleéted 
a number of fynonyms, without any 
further analyfis or critical examination of 
the fubjects before him. GustTavi Pay- 
KULL, “‘Fauna Suecica. Infedia.” tom. x. 
-1798. 358 pp. 8vo. is a work of un- 
common merit, as the author has for many 
years pait devoted himfelf with great zal 
to entomologicai inquiries. It is to be 
regretted only that he has too im- 
plicitly and femetimes at the ex- 
pence of his own judgment,  fol- 
lowed the fyftem of Fabricius. This 
volume in its alphabetical arrangement 
extends as far as Heterocerus. Mr. P. 
has reduced the {pecies of every prolific 
genus te families; each {pecies is minute- 
ly deferibed, and even the varieties have 
been carefully noted; the place of abode 
3s alfo marked in every fpecies, and we 
find many ingenious hints and doubts re- 
jative to the accurate determination of the 
genus throughout ‘this volume. The 
principal authors quoted as authorities 
are, Fabricius, Linnzus, Herbit; and 
plates, 1798. 
occafionally others of lefs note.—Another 
production, but of a much inferior value, 
in this department is “ Faunz Ingria 
Prodromus, exhibens methodicam defcriptio~ 
nem infectovum agri Petropolenfs premifiz 
mammalium, avium, amphibiorum et pis- 
cium enumeratione.  Audtore JOHANNE 
CEDERHIELM.” Cum tab. III. pictis, 
1798, xvill. and 348 pp. 8vo. All the 
new {pecies of infects defcribed in this 
volume might have been eafily comprifed 
in owe page, inftead of filling 350 witha 
ufelefs catalogue of names, and even thefe 
often inaccurately defcribed ! — A more 
valuable and ufeful work, though of very’ 
flow progrels, is the « Flora Europea, 
inchoata a J.J.RomeR.” Fafciculus I, 
ill, 1797, 1798, 8vo. The plates are 
well executed and the defcriptions ac. 
curate ;'the author intends to give annu= 
ally 32 plates only, fo that there are no 
hopes of feeing this undertaking con- 
cluded in lefs than half a century, upon 
the moft moderate calculation of the ob- 
jects which it is intended tocomprehend.— 
With a view to facilitate the acquifition 
of botanical knowledge, we meet with a 
very excellent work, intitled: « Botanical 
Lpstome for the ih of German amateurs of 
Botany in general, and Horticulturifis, Apo- 
thecartes, and Ecoxomifts in particular : by 
J. F.W.Kocu,’’ in three parts, with 
We confider this as amoré 
fy ftematic and eafy intredu&tion to botany, 
than either that by Prof. M&rtin, or Mrs. 
Prifcilla Wakefield, publithed in this 
country.—Of that fplendid work, meni 
tioned in our laft retrofpeét «© Sertum 
Hannoveranum, feu plante variores que 
in hortis regiis Hanovere wicints coluntur;?* 
Auciore J. C. WENDLAND, the 4th num- 
ber of Vol. I. has very lately appeared | 
with fix coloured plates, folio, which re- 
prefent the following rare plants, viz. tab. 
MIX. Zerumbet Spectofum. Tab. XX, 
Protea feolymus. ( Scolyma cephala Linn. ) 
Tab. XXI. Protea necttarina, "Tab, 
XXII. Allamanda cathartica. Tab. 
XXIII. Guaphalium ferrugineum. Tab, 
XXIV. After tomeutofus—The fame 
induftrious author has likewife pub- 
lifhed “in the prefent year his “ Bou 
tanical Obfervations,” together with 
fome new genera and fpecies of plants; 
16 fheets, {mall folio, and four plates. 
This excellent fmall work confifts of three 
feétions, in which Mr. WENDLAND 
has comprifed 73 original obfervations, 
5 new genera, and 43 new fpecies of 
plants: the author holds out the agree- 
able promife that he will continue this ° 
ufeful publication, as foon as he has col- 
dected a fufficient number of interefting 
facts, 
