300 Recent Literature. [ZOE 
Roman, the synonyms in Italic. In this part of the work there 
are a good many errors, besides those which each botanist will 
find for himself according to his views, but although it 
will exactly suit no one, hardly two persons having quite the 
same opinions, it is on the whole probably quite as satisfactory 
as would be the work of any other. The lists of species are 
certain to be eagerly welcomed by certain of the ‘‘once a syno- 
nym always a synonym ”’ botanists as furnishing opportunity for 
unlimited changes. Ko B. 
Transactions of the San Francisco Microscopical Society, Part 1. 
This first part of the publications of the Society is largely 
historical, the exceptions being interesting articles by Dr. D. W. 
Montgomery on J/olluscum contagiosum; Marine Fossil Diatom- 
aceze from California, and their Zoology, by Dr. A. M. Edwards. 
and the Santa Monica Diatomacee by Henry C. Hyde. A 
catalogue of its excellent microscopical library is supplied as well 
as a list of the members, which embraces the names of men who 
are able to and should do much good work. K. Be 
Erythea for September contains an article by Willis L. Jepson 
on the expedition of La Perouse which visited California in 1786. 
It is well to refresh occasionally our remembrance of the early 
navigators, even in cases where their contributions to science 
were from various causes but slight. Mrs. Ida M. Blochman 
contributes a paper of interest on ‘‘ Californian Herb-Lore.’’ 
Professor Greene furnishes an article on the distribution of some 
western plants in which he tries to prove that our Wadia satzva is 
divisible into three species. His ‘‘ vernal” and “‘ zestival ” periods 
of flowering will be found quite as unreliable as they are in 
Madia elegans. To save himself further trouble and to satsify 
the anxiety of the student whom he quotes he might compare 
Lepidium Menziestti Nutt. with L. bipinnatifidum Desv. so 
generally diffused in South America. 
The October issue contains a number of West American 
fungi by Ellis & Everhart, more than half of them in « genera”’ 
which are known to be but forms of other genera. Corrections 
in Nomenclature iii, by Edward L. Greene, on the principle 
of ‘‘once a synonym always a synonym”? furnishes new names, 
