illustrated by wood-cuts. This was little more
than an illustrated catalogue, but was the only
complete work published down to the present. A t
that time the announcement was made of the
speedy publication of “ British Hepaticae,” with
coloured plates, by Dr. Carrington, to be issued in
four parts, which were ultimately published, but
did not contain more than one-third of the British
species known, and the work abruptly closed.
Notwithstanding that the group is a small one,
with other attractions for students, no manual for
their use was to be found in the English language,
except the above-named illustrated catalogue of
nearly thirty years ago, and I have often been
urged to expand that “ easy guide ” into a “ Handbook,”
and render it more complete and efficient,
but I had always hoped that Dr. Carrington would
complete his work, or issue an independent volume
which should be complete in itself. These hopes
having failed, with the death of my lamented
friend, I have, at length, with some reluctance, prepared
the following pages for the press. I have
ielt diffidence, since for many years another branch
of the Cryptogamia has absorbed so much of my
Preface.
" 7 “ t-ccn „„able ,o
c * c e a„d st„dy the Hepatica, i„ jaM. and
.cfore have lo be eontenl „ ¡ ,h ,he chronicle of
the labo„r of others rather than my own, Jt is
rfrnowledged, on all hands, that snch a Handbooh
■ urgently reqtnred, and if it should be the means
hose who have already comn.enced the study of
g ’7 '• ' t o Publiea.
M. C. C o o k e .