PREFACE.

THE title of this Book correctly defines its purpose. It is intended to be essentially a 'Field-Book,"-the field-botanist's pocket-companion.

Several very excellent Manuals of the British Flora are already in existence; their bulk, however, prevents their being used as field-books; and, with the exception perhaps of the one prepared by Mr. Ralfs, I do not know of any one that is not far too large to be a convenient pocket-companion. That was prepared some years ago, and, moreover, is arranged upon the Linnæan system -a system convenient in many ways, it is true, but now very generally superseded by more natural systems.

It is obvious, that in preparing this Book, a chief object has necessarily been the reduction of its bulk, by selecting, as nearly as possible, the essential marks, and those alone, by which each Order, genus, and species may be distinguished.

To accomplish this task fully and successfully would demand a far larger experience than I can lay claim to, combined with a happy and rare faculty of observation, which would disregard characters, however striking, that are not permanent, and in the midst of all fix only upon those that are essential and determinate. I beg the reader to believe, that, in offering this little Book, I do not for one moment indulge the presumption that I have succeeded in accomplishing this. I offer it as a humble and necessarily very imperfect attempt to supply an undoubted deficiency.

I have ventured, however, to hope that it might possibly be of further use. There has of late years been an increasing tendency in the direction of minute and needless subdivision, and it may not

be amiss that even thus attention should be drawn in an opposite direction, to codification and condensation.

I have made the excellent Manual of Sir W. Hooker and Dr. Arnott my standard; the English names are copied almost directly from it, and, as a rule, the genera and species are the same as are given there. Only in a few instances have I departed from it, and those are not very important ones; for although I believe no doubt exists in the mind of any one that the Cruciferous and Composite genera (not to speak of others) are needlessly multiplied, I have, nevertheless, not ventured to disturb them, but, somewhat against my will, have left them as they were.

Of the species of two genera (Hieracium and Salix) I have attempted no classification. The materials necessary for the formation of such an arrangement as would come within the scope of this book do not exist, at least they have not yet been collected; and I must either have dogmatized in a manner that would have been simply ridiculous, or have transferred to these pages mere descriptions of the plants, which would have been to lose sight of the chief purpose of the book; and I have therefore preferred to leave them untouched.

I have endeavoured to abstain as much as possible from the use of technical terms. It is not always easy to do without them, and I hope that in attempting it I have not added obscurity. These phrases are intended to convey a meaning with only a limited amount of precision. The practised botanist may know how much meaning to attach to the term subulate, for instance; but in translating it to "awl-shaped," I have felt that confusion might arise, for that too much precision was thus given to the character, the resemblance to an awl being not absolute, but only conventional : and the same in other cases. These terms and their translations must not therefore be applied too rigorously. A Glossary is appended, and here and there in the text I have added explanations which I hope will be found to simplify difficulties for the beginner.

It is hoped that a very slight examination will suffice to show how the book is to be used, and that no explanation on that head is necessary here. The young botanist will do well to make himself acquainted, in the first place, with the general characters and outward appearance of the chief Natural Orders: he will find this of great assistance in discovering the relation of an unknown

specimen; for often the Order to which it belongs may be at once known, or he may be able to mark off a number of Orders to which it certainly does not belong, and so the field is gradually cleared of difficulties.

It must not be forgotten that the points upon which Natural distinctions depend are often too minute to be made out readily by the unassisted eye, and that a sharp knife and a good lens are indispensable companions; without them a distaste to the study is almost sure to arise, and they should be always at hand.

In conclusion, I desire to make my acknowledgments to those to whom, in one way or another, I am indebted for assistance ;especially to Sir W. Hooker and Dr. Arnott, of whose valuable book I have made large use.

Finally, in taking my leave, I would bespeak for the little Book the indulgent criticism of those who will do me the honour to use it. To know the mere name of a plant is nothing, I admit -to observe the beauty and harmony of its structure and relations is much; however,

"Wheresoe'er thou turn thine eye,

On earth, air, ocean, or the starry sky,
Converse with nature in pure sympathy."

Such is the spirit in which this elegant study should be pursued; and forming and strengthening, as it does, the habit of correct observation, it may fairly claim to be ranked with those studies that truly serve for " generation, fruit, and comfort."

January 20th, 1857.

A. P. C.

ERRATUM.

At page 85, 23. Myrrhis should be bracketed with those having fruit oblong, second line from bottom, thus:

GLOSSARY.

Abortive. Imperfectly developed.

Achene. A small, seed-like fruit; as in the Compositæ, Boraginaceæ, &c.

Acuminate. Tapering to a point.

Albumen. The matter in a seed between the embryo and the skin of the seed.

Albuminous. Containing albumen.

Alternate. Springing alternately from different sides of the stem. Amentaceous. Having catkins. See Amentum.

Amentum. A deciduous spike of imperfect flowers, as in the Willow and Hazel.

Annual. Flowering and fruiting in 'the same year in which it is raised from seed.

Anther. The head of the stamen, which contains the pollen.
Apocarpous. Having the carpels more or less disunited.

Arillus. The outer covering of a seed, fixed to it at its base only.
Aristate. Awned or bearded, as barley.

Auricled. Having small lobes or ears.

Awl-shaped. Slender, and tapering to a point.

Awn. The beard, of corn,

Awned. Having awns.

&c.

Axil, Axilla. The angle formed by an axis and a body growing from it; e. g. a stem and a leaf-stalk.

Axile. Attached to the axis or centre of a body, as in the case of seeds attached to the central axis of the ovary.

Axillary. Growing in an axilla.

Baccate. Berried; pulpy.

Beaked. Ending in a long sharp point.

Berry. A succulent seed-vessel, in which the seeds lie embedded in the pulp.

Biennial. Requiring 2 years to form its flowers and fruit, and then dying.

Bi-fid (2-fid). Split nearly half-way into 2 parts.

Bi-partite. Divided nearly to the base into 2 parts.

Bi-pinnate. Applied to the divisions of a pinnate leaf when they are pinnate also.

b