The Express.
London, England, 1846-09-19 00:00:00

M EDITION of LINDLEY'S SCHOOL BOTANY.

In demy am, price is. fol.,
SCHOOL BOTANY;
Or, the IT,DDIENTS of BOTANICAL SCIENCE,
Br JOHN LINDLEY, PIM). KM.,
Proteesor of Botany in University College, London.
A New Edition : with Numerous Alterations and. nearly
Four Hundred Illustrations. . . .

7tiYTwsTibl4; WilitUliypit;Pared, to hide, to meet a regulation
of the University of Landes, by which it was required of all students,
that, two yesre previously to proceeding to their Fret degree, they
should he examined, among other inibiecta, in "The charades% and
differenees of the principal natural classes and orders of plants be.
leaping to the lima of Entope, in the botanical elaosineetkin of Do
Condone." . .

The obvious purpose of this regulation was to mate young men
acquainted with the names and properties of the vegetation thst
surrounds than: so that, after receiving what is called a liberal
education, they might not be thrown upon the wortd, ignorant of
the names, at tenet, of the comnaceest plants of their own tonna,.
In the opinion at the author, the meagre was cokulated to effect a
real good, and to supply a wide gap in the common routine of a
school, where it Is most desirable that some natural history should be
introduced, if it be only to relieve the tedium of the lees attractive
studies to which young persons are neetainelly subjected.
But it was also Important for the sole of its substantial utility.
'There may be a difference of opinion as I. the advantage of
much time upon the study of botany ; but these hi use open Daly
se to the importance of knowing the names at the *Meal which man
has to make use, or which be is continually meet with. There to
not at the present day a person of any intelligence, ignorant of such
things, who does net regret that some portion of his youth should not
have been devoted to this kind of Inquiry.
The Donetshire gentleman who pat himself to ecinelderable trouble
and no small expense to carry a seek of Hornbeam seed from novenae
to London, would have been aved the exertion had he known that
the liornbesm grew in abundance on his own estate; and It may be
safely asserted that every one of that celebrated court party which
discovered a prodigy in the beautiful tree in Windsor Park, would '
have been glad if their early educallmi had spared them the mortifica-
tion of learning front Lord M. that the tree in question was only the
Spanish Chestnut.
Whatever the future Intentions of a student of botany may be, it is
indispensable that tbe fin step to be tLen should be that of pining
an acquaintance with the common plants of his one country. In the
absence of that, he cannot make a single move in advance. lie must
grist master the rudiments of the science, and master them correctly.
This little book has been prepared teethe purpose of enabling him to
do so. It contains all that it is necessary to know la order to make •
gar beginning. and it Includeeno more ' • so that if any me Mould bare
the patience to enter the whole contents of the volume, be would
then be Ina Fadden to carry his inquiries onwards with ease. But it
is not really accessary to become acquainted with all the plants here
mentlemed.
The lemon whim may epedes are introduced, which are of small
impatience, hi to email, the Mosher to obtais et teat ease pert of
them be Wastrels hie Molded. Local dm tometenem and especially
ear mmerthie eamem. tamp render it Mama tee pnewre every
=l7bile the hat althoemeivehle mi. in this
amim to the rombeilea els hew pert.
Tit @delft the Weeds with width the shedert Is be be made
taluldldwir them him rimerally elleet• with& me within any
lOWA reale wad le mew the sierdeltkm et them mere easy, the
voter names me added. A very moan sem of mosey will enable
may col
to mdtivate the whole In • garden, where they
may be costeatly at hand.

- •
In framing the tectutioal characters of genera and species, all the
more minute &eduction+, the detection of which requires the aid of a
microscope, have been irtentionidly disregarded ; and attention Is more
especially called to them which are obvious enough to be observed by
any one having a pocket lens.
Which of the European natural orders I regard as the " prin.
tips]," will be apparent, from the prominence given here to certain
natural orders beyond others. The teacher is not, however, recent-
mendedaltusetther to omit them which are stated to be oompuutively
antmporbus:. The ',beet noun will be to make the students
thmmighly acquainted, In the first instance, with the natural orders
which are marked from I. to LXXIII., and then to explain more
briefly the diderenom of those to which no numbers are prefixed.
In conclosion, the towhee is particularly recommended to take care
that in addition to a small penknife, each student Is provided with a
pocket lens of about a half-inch Mews, and a few quires of paper
the former to ambit him in examining, and the latter in drying, the
fresh specimens of plant. daily brought before him. There Ii no
method so certain as the latter, to accustom young persons to esti-
mate correctly the differences between one plant and another; and,
it in presumed, no one will think of teaching Botany, without an
ample supply of fresh specimens, which be may distribute among
his clam, for the purpose of being examined and studied at leisure.
Indeed, it In unites, to study botany, unless this prim:Mon is made
for the acquisition of those habits of observation which render
natural history so peculiarly useful RA a branch of mental training.
When students do not enjoy the advantage. of a competent
teacher, their beet plan will be to put this book into the hands of an
I intelligent gardener, and to induce him to furnish them weekly with
the plants that are named in it. At home they can compare the
definitions which they may find with the plants themselves, and this
kind of practice is, of all others, the meet certain to lead to advan-
tageous resulte.
None of the woodcuts employed in the first edition have been
introduced on this occasion. Experience shows that, for purposes
of teaching, it is Indispensable that as much accuracy as is attainable
should be observed in preparing the illustietiorm. To the untrained
eye, plants are too mach alike in reality; ill executed, or much
diminished, woodcuts increase this resemblance, and consequently
perplex morn than instruct. The tufa now employed will, it is
hoped, render It impomible that any mistake should be made by
men the most inexperienced as to the plants to which they belong.
The fatalities, indeed, offered to artiste by Mr. Pelmer's Glyph°.
MbMoms. analogous modes of engraving, which have been
aipispod as this occasion, leave little to iteelre on the score
of aectireey
Ussreessty Cells" Louise.

CHAFTIM I.—OF PLANTS LN GENERAL.
IL—CLASSES OF PLANTS.
111.—OP THE SUBDIVISIONS OW EZCOGIDIS.
IV.—OF THALAMIVIORAL MOGEN&
V.—OF CALYCIFLORAL MOGEN&
VI.—OF COROLLIFLORAL EXOGENS.
VII.—OF MONOCIILAMYUEOUS EXOGE-NS.
VIM—OF ENDOGENS.
IL—OF CRYPTOGANS, or ACROGENS.