from the metropolis, denied them the power of obtaining access to the libraries which it contains. are, Among the various articles inserted, to which we cannot with propriety apply the epithets rare and uncom non. A minus, Anchusa sempervirens, Antirrhinum cymbalaria, Carduus eriophorus, Chara hispida, Cochlearia officinalis, Equisetum sylvaticum, Eriophoron polystachion, E. vaginatum Gentiana campestris, Geum rival, Gnaphalium dicicum Lathyrus' sylvestris, Polygonum bistorta, Rupia maritima, Singuisorba offiSome of cinalis, Tormentilla reptans, and Vaccinium oxycoccos. the greatest rarities admitted into this collection are Alivitum capillus Veneris, Agrostis litteralis, Althen hirsuta, Alysum incantin, Anchusa officinalis, Aniet ingium Lapponicum, Anthericum serotinum, Artemisia cœrulescens, Atriplex erecta, Bromus triflorus, Campanula rapunculoides, Carex elindestina, C. Micheliana, C. pauciflori, C. tomentosa, Chironia littoralis, Cistus ledifolius, Cucubalus baccifer Cynoglossum omphaloides, Dianthu arenarius, D. barbatus, Draba aizïdes, Elatine bydropiper, Elymus geni❤ culatus, Euphorbia lathyris, E. paralias, Funaria Muhlenbergii, Gentiana acaulis, Hedypnois taraxaci, Hieracium oreanthoides, H. villosum, Hyacinthus racemosus, Iris xiphium, Kwappia agrostidea, Ligusticum Sesticum, Lychnis viscaria, Pernia corallina, Panicum dactylon, Poa alpina, Polypodium arvonicum, Potentilla rupestris, Pulmonaria Virginica, Ribes spicatum. Riccia crystallina, Rosa cinnamomea, Salix cetinifolia, S. Forbyana, S. hastata, S. hirta, S. lanceolata, S. prostrata, Saxifraga palmata, Sisym brium joyceratium, Tetraphis ovata, Tortula aristata, T. brevifolia, Typha minor, Veila annua, Veronica bumifusa, Vicia bybrida, V. lavigata, and various mosses, &c. too tedious to enumerate. With respect to the indications, it happens rather unfortu nately, that many of them are expressed in language not sufficiently pointed. The botanical student, for example, who goes in quest of Milium lendigerum, in Devenshire, is directed by the Guide to the neighbourhood of Instow: but he may search a considerable time before he stumbls on the precise spot :-Verbascum lychnitis, he is told, occurs in hedges, not common, consequently days may piss before he can lay hold of a specimen, or he may miss it a together and if Exa.cum filiforme be the object of his pursuit, his only reference is, here and there in the County. The compilers, who uniformly note their authorities, are not responsible for this want of preeisn, and are usually much more accurate when they cite from their own observation. he acuteness and ingenuity, which are displayed in several of the marginal notes, cannot fail to draw the attention of the curious. curious. We only wish that the composers of the Guide had more frequently indulged in such remarks.-Without entering on the critical discussions to which some of these annotations might invite, we shall merely transcribe two passages, which, we presume, will not be unacceptable to our botanical readers: This interesting addition to our Flora was first made known very lately in the 4th No. of Mr. Konig's excellent work, the Annals of Botany, II. p. 190, and the note, which announced the discovery, does such honour to the feelings of the writer, that we can. not deprive ourselves of the pleasure of inserting it. M. Saint Amans, sensible à toutes les honnêtetés qu'il a reçu des naturalistes Anglais pendant le sejour qu'il a fait dans leur pays, croit ne pouvoir mieux leur prouver sa reconnaissance, en quittant cette terre hospitalière, qu'en leur annonçant qu'il a recueilli près de Haverford West, South Wales, la Gentiana acaulis Linn. (grandiflora Lamark,) belle plante alpine qu'on n'avoit point encore trouvée sur le sol de l'Angleterre. Il espere que ces M M voudront bien recevoir cette communication de sa part, comme une preuve du désir qu'il a de contribuer à leur jouissance, et de l'intérêt qu'il prendra toujours à la perfection de la Flore Britannique." Slinfold Parsonage having been formerly the residence of Dr. Manningham, Mr. Borrer suspects that this plant, as well as Euphorbia esula, and pilosa, and probably Cardamine impatiens, and Erysimum cheiranthoides, all which are now apparently wild there, may originally have escaped from his garden. Mr. Borrer has also informed us that Apium petroselinum is naturalized on walls at Arundel and Shoreham; and he adds, upon the authority of Mr. Woollgar, that Satureia montana? has grown time out of mind on the ruins of Lewes Castle we have heard of these two plants being naturalized in other parts of England, and we can hardly doubt of their having as good a claim to a place in our Flora as Valeriana rubra or Tulipa sy! vestris. In the event of a second impression, we recommend it to the authors to include North Britain; which is now much frequented by scientific travellers, and of which the Botany has been sedulously cultivated since the publication of Lightfoot's Flora. ART. XIV. The Bees: a Poem, in Four Books. With Notes, Moral, Political, and Philosophical. By John Evans, M. D. F.R.M.S. Edinb. Book I. 4to. pp. 90. 78. sewed. Printed at Shrewsbury, and sold by Longman and Co. in London. 1806. TH HIS poem owes its birth to the author's renewal of the favourite occupations of his youth, which consisted in the study of nature as the basis of professional information. With the twofold view of relieving the fatigues of an extensive miedical practice, and rendering his own recreations subservient to to the instruction of a numerous family, he seems to have contemplated, with laudable enthusiasm, the animal economy in its various forms. What was originally intended for the use of his children only, some partial friends have urged him to lay before the public.' Without repeating the too modest terms in which Dr. Evans speaks of his own exertions, we readily admit the force and propriety of his motives. While the Bees of other nations have been able to boast their zealous and patient investigators in Maraldi, Swammerdam, Reaumur, and Huber, and a poetical panegyrist in the elegant Vaniere; yet in this birth-place of free-Enquiry, and of the immortal Bacon, scarce [scarcely] one scientific work has been devoted to the service of these valuable insects. Nor, except perchance" to point a moral, or adora a tale," hath the British Muse deigned to present one garland at their shrine. To interweave with their history, and management, the latest discoveries, and improvements in this branch of knowledge-to invite the more general culture of a stock, requiring the least capital, labour, or expence in maintenance, of any in the Farmer's yard, and within the reach of the poorest Cottager-to rescue from unmerited, and impolitic destruction the lives of an industrious race, which are spared by the now barbarous slaves of Egypt, and of Greece—and, above all, "to teach the young idea how to shoot," and "look through Nature up to Nature's God"-are the objects of the present poem.' In two respects, however, we cannot altogether accord with the author's sentiments. When, in vindication of wanton digression and irrelative similes, he pleads a wish to vary the dull uniformity of his subject, and multiply the sources of amusement or instruction to his youthful readers,' he forgets that his subject is not, necessarily, either dull or uniform; and that variety, amusement, and instruction, if procured at the expence of good taste, and without any cogent reason for such a sacrifice, lose much of their value, especially when addressed to young minds. Neither can we allow the importance of a subject to sanction the hasty and imperfect manner in which it is treated. Writing for usefulness alone, (Dr. E. remarks,) and holding, as it were, the torch to fresh discoveries and improvements, in this branch of science, the author does not feel justified in delaying that usefulness by attempts at farther polish or correction. He ushers the first book of his work into the world, with all its imperfections; and the remaining parts will be published as speedily, and in as quick succession, as his own necessary avocations, and those of his printer will admit.'-Now, we really cannot perceive that the natural history of the bee will suffer any detriment, altho th Dr. Evans should patiently complete his design, and mate his his composition, before he has recourse to publication. The usefulness of an entire and correct performance is, surely, greater than that of premature fragments. From want of due consideration of these obvious particulars, the poor bees, we fear, have been defrauded of their equitable share of the Doctor's mellifluous strains; which are very liberally bestowed on his father's residence, and on Wynnstay Park, and on Sir Watkin and Lady Wynne, and on Italy, and on Great Britain. To the same cause we may charitably ascribe an occasional harsh line, or a faulty rhyme. Having stated these objections, we are prepared to admit that this portion of the work has claims to our favourable notice. The subject is in itself inviting, and the author's powers of versification greatly surpass those of our daily rhymsters. As a proof of the easy and elegant flow of his numbers, we transcribe his descriptive catalogue of the wild flowers which furnish pollen or honey in early spring: Ere yet the RAM his golden born displays, * • First the gray WILLOW's glossy pearls they steal, Or rob the HAZEL † of its golden meal, 66 pascuntur While First the gray Willow's] "Et glaucas salices, casiamque, crocumque rubentem." VIRGIL. Of all the spring flowers, the catkins of the numerous species of Salix, or Willow, afford the earliest and most abundant supply of Farina for the bees, who may be observed constantly settling on these blossoms when the weather is favourable. The Bees are equally fond of the Corylus Avellana, Hazel.' + Or rob the Hazel] As the farina of the anthers serves to fertilize the stigma, or female organ of flowers, and the honey seems intended for the nutriment of both; theory at first would lead us to conclude that bees must be seriously hurtful to vegetation. Nature, however, seems amply to have provided against all such injuries. A single plant of Mullein, Poppy, or Foxglove, though close to au extensive While the gay CROCUS and the VIOLET blug snow, Peeps forth young PILEWORT from the thicket's gloom, On the smooth turf their ray-encircled gold: extensive apiary, will be found to produce millions of well-ripened seeds. The blossoms of the Cacalia, or Alpine Coltsfoot are constantly crowded with bees, and butterflies: but they are supplied with. such a profusion of honey as to be scented at a considerable distance, and with abundant suckers, and offsets. to remedy any seminal failure. Nor is this provision against accidents wasted in any instance; the seeming redundancy yielding food to innumerable insects, and even to man himself Not honey alone, but all the various fruits whose pulp is primarily intended to nourish the embryo seed, are proofs of this multiplied benchicence of nature.' Anemone, that shuns] Anemone nemorosa, Wood Anemone, expands its flowers in fine weather only, folding them up against rain. Eng. Botany, Tab. 355. And trim Oxalis] Oxalis acetosella, Wood Sorrel, is a most elegant little plant, growing in the shade of woods and thickets. Its white petals are beautifully pencilled with purple lines and the leaves are often tinted with purple, half unfolded, and forming a kind of natural umbrella Eng. Bot 762. While sweet Adoxa) Adoxa Moschatellina, Tuberous Moschatell, emerging from its wintry bed of withered leaves, welcomes the Botanist in his early spring excursions. When young, and moist with dew it has a faint musky smell. Eng Botany 453 Peeps forth young Pilewort] The highly varnished golden flowers of Ranunculus ficaria, Pilewort, are among the earliest har bingers of spring in shady places. Eng. Potany, 54. Its || Leontodons unfold Leonto on tarax cum, Dandelion, blows early in the spring, and continues throughout the summer. flowers form part of the Horol ge, or Clock of Flora, unfolding at -five or six in the morning, and closing them about sun set. STILLINGFLEET's Calendar of Hora! See Nor |