Our table is graced by an elegant octavo of five hundred pages, with plates, with the following title: "The Natural History of Dee Side and Braemar. By the late William Macgillivray, LL. D., Author of a History of British Birds. Edited by Edwin Lankester, M. D., F. R. S., London; Printed for Private Circulation." The Royal arms are displayed on a front page, and inscribed; "This Work, printed by command of the Queen, is presented to---------, ---------, by H. R. H. Prince Albert".

The manuscript of the work was completed by the author just before his death; his family not wishing to publish it, the manuscript was purchased by the Queen of England, and printed by her orders. It is local in its descriptions of the natural history of Dee Side and Braemar, and, on looking it through, we are net surprised the author's family declined the publication, as it could, scarcely be very popular, however minute and accurate its descriptions. The illustrations are not remarkable.

The Illustrated Bouquet is the title of a periodical just issued (June 1), a quarterly, by E. G. Henderson & Son, London, each part containing five or more plates of flowers, " every plate being intended to form a bouquet of itself," in quarto form. The Messrs. Henderson are extensive nurserymen, and, no doubt, this work is intended to advertise their new plants.

The second part of Van Houtte's Flore des Serres contains, among other things, figures of Achimenes amabiiis (a handsome plant resembling Gloxinia tubiflora), the Fancy Pelargonium called Avenir, a new Begonia called Rosacea, Haemanthus cinnabarinus (from the Gold Coast), a deep crimson Fuchsia with white petals marbled with purple, and oddly enough called Galanthiflora. There is also a plate of the handsome French Camellia-flowered Balsams, and some miscellaneous matter to which we shall probably advert hereafter. These " Balsams" form the most beautiful plate lately published by Van Houtte; they are simply very double " lady-slippers," and will probably become the vogue. We saw them in perfection, lately, at one of our neighbors, the beautiful country-seat of George Roberts Smith, Esq., where his gardener (Alexander Newell) has produced the most beautiful kinds, from French seeds. It is said that the seeds will require to be imported annually, as the plants from seeds in this country degenerate.

We cannot, however, vouch for this.

We observe that a new monthly botanical wort, to be called "Filices Exoticae, or Figures and Descriptions of Exotic Ferns, particularly of such as are most deserving of Cultivation," is to appear from the practised pen of Sir William Hooker. Each part is to contain eight colored plates, executed by Mr. Fitoh. Such a publication is wanted, and will contribute to the settlement of the names of Ferns, which pseudo-soientific writers have contrived to reduce to deplorable confusion. The work will be published by Lorell Reeve.

The same publisher announces the preparation, by Professor Harvey, of a work to appear in monthly parts, each containing six colored plates and as many pages of letter-press, under the name of Phycologia Australasica; or, Figures and Descriptions of Australian Sea-weeds, Publication to commence as soon as a sufficient number of subscribers' names to justify the necessary outlay, shall have been received.

Illustrations of books are sometimes produced in a way indicating that author and artist have not worked in unison; in fact, that the artist has never read the author. A striking example is furnished in Godfrey's Grinnell Exploring Expedition, where the author relates that Dr. Kane became so ill with cold that Godfrey had to carry him a long distance on his shoulders, Kane all the time declaring, in his hallucination, that he saw a bear about to attack him. Godfrey takes much pains to assure his commander, and the reader, also, that there was no bear; but lo! the engraver, following the illustrator, inserts a bear running alongside 1 and turning up a very threatening snout. In this way, the public lose their confidence in illustrations, which thus become worthless. We could name a manufactory of wood blocks, where, by changing the borders of pictures, one battle scene is made to do duty a dozen times in the same "history," and, after illustrating the American Revolution, appears in the life of Napoleon! There is a class of books of this kind foisted on unsuspecting people, the history of which it will do somebody a service to write.

They remind one of the colloquy between the showman and the children: "Look to the right, my little dears, and you'll see the lions attacking of the dogs. Look to the left, and you'll see the dogs attacking of the lions." "If you please, sir, which is the lions, and which is the dogs?" "Whichever you please, my pretty dears; you've paid your money, and you've a right to choose." This would scarcely answer for botany.