selecting, as most worthy of culture, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Alopecurus pratensis, Poa pratensis and trivialis; Festuca pratensis, and Cynosurus cristatus. This tract was so favourably received as to come to a third edition, with additions, in the year 1799. The fourth edition now before us is also said in the title-page to be with additions; but from a cursory

comparison it appears to us to be printed nearly, if not altogether verbatim from the third, with the addition of sir Joseph Banks's account of the blight in corn, which has also, with the liberal consent of the author, been reprinted in two periodical publications, the Annals of Botany and the Philosophical Magazine.

MR. DAWSON TURNER is already well known to our readers for his synopsis of the British fuci, his Muscologia Hibernica Spicilegium, and several papers in the Transactions of the Linnean Society. Mr. Dillwyn, his associate in this work, will be introduced to their notice with equal advantage, when his synopsis of the British Confervæ, with highly magnified coloured drawings, now publishing in quarterly fasciculi, is completed. These able and active botanists do not expect to make any addition to their fame by the present publication: and look for no credit beyond that of careful and industrious compilers.' But though the nature of their work is such as to preclude much display of knowledge and investigation, it is such also as requires a scientific and extensive acquaintance with the subject. Local catalogues of the rarer British plants, with their places of growth, or habitats, as they are rather barbarously, but not inconveniently called, have been published in various forms: county ones in particular are to be found in the later editions of Camden's Britannia, and in most separate county histories; but they have generally been very imperfect, and have often been deformed with gross errors. A more acceptable service, there fore, could scarcely have been done to the lovers of English botany, than is here offered to their acceptance. It is precisely what they want; and we are persuaded, that there is not one of them who will not gladly receive it as a profitable and pleasant companion in all his excursions. To those who are not naturalists, indeed, nothing can appear more completely dull and tedious than a catalogue of names: but those who have experienced the mortification of having learnt too late that they have been in the neighbourhood of a plant which they have never seen, will know how to estimate its value. And we do not hesitate to assert, though we may possibly incur the risk of being posted in a

new edition of Flim Flams for making the assertion, that he who would not cheerfully go a few miles out of his way for the sake of observing a rare plant alive, on its native soil, has no right to call himself a botanist.

Mr. Turner and Mr. Dillwyn have not only collected with diligence and judgment all that has hitherto been published on the subject, but have contributed much that has fallen within their per sonal observation, and have also been favoured with numerous original communications from their botanical friends; so that they have been enabled to furnish a mass of information which is no where else to be obtained. Plants which are of almost universal occurrence, they have uniformly omitted: they have even avoided, as far as possible, introducing those, which though confined to peculiar situr tions, are in those situations almost always to be found. Those, for instance, which generally accompany a calcareous soil, and are nearly confined to it, such as Cistus helianthemum, Hippocrepis comosa, &c.; the maritime plants which are commonly met with on the sea-coast; and those which are limited to marshes or sands; are purposely excluded, though they cannot but be rarities to the naturalist whose neighbourhood does not furnish sinfla stations. On this principle no mention 19 made either of Cotyledon umbilicus, me Digitalis purpurea, notwithstanding ther are no where to be found in the easters part of the kingdom; because, as the se thors state, the former of them in the nothern, and the latter in the southern zi western counties, is even more commur. than any nettle or thistle in Norfolk an' Suffolk. The Botanist's Guide would ce tainly have become too bulky for conve nient use, if some line of this kind hal not been drawn; but we cannot he's wishing that it had not been quite so SIT. pulously observed. It would be interes ing to know the exact limits of the two

plants which they have mentioned, and to have it exactly ascertained where they do and where they do not occur. We have observed the former sparingly in Northamptonshire and Cheshire, more plentifully in Shropshire, particularly on the sandstone rocks at Hawkstone, the enchanting seat of sir Richard Hill, and abundantly in almost every part of North Wales, but know of no habitat for it in any of the six northern counties, except about Troutbeck in Westmoreland, where it is said by Hudson to grow copiously. The latter is very common in many parts of the north, but, if we mistake not, is scarcely ever found except in a soil of which clay is a principal component. We believe it generally accompanies coal, but is by no means confined to the districts where that invaluable mineral abounds. Sixteen counties are mentioned as producing Campanula latifolia, which is usually ranked among the rarer English plants. It is very common in most parts of the north, grows more sparingly in the midland counties, and does not appear any where south of Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Bedfordshire, except in Cornwal, where Mr. Dillwyn found it in abundance. To Campanula trachelium no particular habitats are assigned, though it has nearly, if not altogether, an equal right to be esteemed a local plant. As far as our observation has extended, Hawkstone in Shropshire is its extreme northern limit.

We should have been glad to see the habitats of Ligustrum vulgare, Pastinaca sativa, and some others which are certainly local, and do not appear to be confined to any soil or situation of a determined character. But we will not dwell on supposed deficiencies. We are sensible that we ought to express our gratitude to the respectable corapilers, for the copious list with which they have actually favoured us; and should not have offered these remarks, if we had not been confident that they have too much of a philosophical spirit, not to receive with pleasure any hints intended to promote the advancement of their favourite science. Indeed, valuable as their work is with respect to its professed immediate object, it has, in our estimation, a right to aspire to a higher rank. We flatter ourselves that we see in it the rudiments of a geographical botany of our island. In that light we wish it to be considered; and hope to see it gradually increased by the constant accession of new materials, expressly collected for that purpose. Tra

velling botanists, who use it as a Vade Mecum (and what botanist will be satisfied to be without it?), will esteem themselves bound by gratitude to contribute their observations for its farther improvement, and will, we trust, carefully mark every attendant circumstance of soil, elevation, exposure, and whatever else has any connection with the natural situation of a plant.

Our authors in their preface signify their regret, that in some cases their information has not enabled them to fix with certainty, in which of two adjoining counties a particular plant was found. In deference to those professional partialities, which are too general, aud perhaps too natural to be altogether condemned, it may be desirable and even necessary to notice the political divisions of a country; and where a particular station is to be sought for by a stranger, it must be of consequence to know on which side of a river it lies: but for the purposes of real science, it is a matter of absolute indifference whether it be in the county of Gloucester or of Somerset, any farther than the naked rocks of St. Vincent, and the woody ground beyond the Avon, present different kinds of surface, and lead us to expect plants of distinct natural fa

milies.

We have long been convinced that the basons of rivers, as they are not unaptly called by some of the French naturalists, afford the best natural divisions, with the exception of the comparatively few instances in which a river that intersects the country, separates strata entirely different from each other in their general qualities and features. Where two or more rivers run nearly parallel to each other, without any considerable elevation between them, and with little diversity of soil, as is the case with the Midland Ouse, the Nen, and the Welland; or where their course is short, and the country which slopes to them on each side has no striking peculiarity of character; they may be considered as belonging to the same na tural district but the Thames, the Severn, the Trent, the Yorkshire Ouse, the Tyne, the Eden, the Ribble, the Mersey, and the Dee, which have numerous tributaries in their train, may justly claim a whole division to themselves. England and Wales might be properly parcelled into ten or twelve districts of this kind, and Scotland into six or eight more and each of these should be accurately analyşed into their distinct pats, as those parts

are marked either by the course of the stream through different kinds of soil, or by the distance of the highest line from the bed of the river on each side; or otherwise, as they consist of subordinate valleys, watered by their own rivulets, brooks, or torrents. If for this purpose the mineralogist, the botanist, and the agriculturist, were to survey the whole with that scientific eye which is to be acquired and matured only by long experience in the course of their respective -pursuits, the result of their labours would be a fund of information equally interesting to the philosopher, and useful to the generality of mankind. As far as our influence extends, we are anxious to do all in our power towards the completion of so desirable an object; and though we have no personal authority for so doing, we do not scruple to advise all lovers of natural science to keep a future edition of this work constantly in their view, and to consider it as a centre of intelligence to which all scattered information may be directed from every quarter, with a certainty of being thankfully received, and of producing extensively beneficial effects.

We have only in addition to assure our readers, that the authors have already

done more than their title-page promises, by throwing considerable light on several hitherto obscure plants, and pointing out others which want further investigation. They have likewise added a few pianoga, mous, and a greater number of cryptoga mous plants, which had not before been ad mitted as parts of the British Flora; and have shewn that some others which have obtained peaceable possession, have no de, cided right to the privileges of native citizens. It would afford us great pleasure were we able to announce, that a similar guide to the northern division of our island is in a state of preparation. From the numerous students in the four univers sities of Scotland who are actually enga ged in the study of botany, and from the various English travellers conversant in that science who are yearly making the tour of the Highlands in particular, a sufficient quantity of materials may surely be expected; and if each could be induced to contribute their share to a common stock, the more dignified name of Great Britain might speedily stand in a new edi, tion of the work before us, instead of England and Wales. The other Great British island will, we fear, for some time, still remain but little explored.

THIS work is dedicated to the literary and philosophical society of Newcastleupon-Tyne, by three of its members, N. J. Winch, F. L. S. John Thornhill, and Richard Waugh. That respectable society has laudably considered the counties of Northumberland and Durham, as placed under its immediate inspection, and having a claim upon it for an accurate investigation of their natural treasures. If similar institutions were established in all our great towns, and if each of them were to form a similar opinion of their respective duties to the general community, we should soon have a natural history of Great Britain far better than any country can as yet boast of possessing. The three gentlemen who have subscribed their names to the dedication, appear to have undertaken the botanical part; and the volume before us constitutes the first fruits of their researches. It is formed on the same plan as the more general work reviewed in the preceding article, and, as may natually be supposed, is fuller and more mipute. In three or four instances plants

are given without specific names. These the compilers consider as non-descripts, and leave to the authors on English_botany, who are in possession of specimens, the task of delineating and describing.' The sentence is rather obscure; but we presume that the authors referred to, are Dr. Smith and Mr. Sowerby; and the specimens certainly cannot be placed in better hands: but we should, nevertheless, have been gratified by having scientific descriptions formed from the recent plants by skilful naturalists, who have seen them in their natural situations, and have enjoyed opportunities of observing them in all the stages of their growth. Botanists should always describe on the spot every plant concerning which they entertain any degree of doubt; and if they have fortunately acquired the power of drawing a correct outline, should pay particular attention to its usual habit as it grows. The best artists must sometimes unavoidably fail of producing a striking resemblance, when they are called to delineate a plant which they have never seen before, and which

has, perhaps, been conveyed to them two or three hundred miles in a tin box.

Such information as the following will always be acceptable: but the two particulars in the last clause of the concluding sentence are by no means happily conceived, or clearly expressed.

It must not be expected that Cheviot and its surrounding hills will ever be found to vie with Teesdale, whose mountains are in a great measure composed of extensive lime-stone ridges, which are well known to be propitious to the growth of alpine plants. Cheviot, on the contrary, is a porphyritic mountain, densely clothed to its sunumit with coarse grass and.rushe»,

to the total exclusion of more delicate vegetables. The herbage of Cheviot is composed of the following plants :-Scirpus cespitosus, called by the shepherds Deer'shair; Juncus articulatus, Spart; Juncus squamosus, Black-bent; Nardus stricta, White-bent; Eriophorum Vaginatumits leaves Ling, its flowers Moss.'

The first volume comprehends the Musci, but we are informed that materials for the second, in which the Lichens will be arranged according to the mode adopted by Dr. Acharius, in his Methodus Lichenum, are nearly collected, and will soon be committed to the press.

T