1922] Fernald,—Hoffmann’s Flora of Berkshire Co. 183 
GENTIANA LINEARIS Froel. Rare, except in western Maine. 
Meadow near railroad in Warren. 
Specimens of the above plants have been passed upon by Professor 
Fernald, and deposited in the herbarium of the New England Botani- 
cal Club. 
Matinicus, MAINE. 
HOFFMANN’S FLORA OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY, 
MASSACHUSETTS. 
M. L. FERNALD. 
Ir is nearly a century since Chester Dewey published (in 1829) 
his list of the plants of Berkshire County and, although the region 
has almost continuously attracted the field-botanist, no serious 
attempt has been made to replace Dewey’s antiquated list. But, 
now, almost as a centennial reminder of Dewey’s work, comes this 
more ambitious publication. Dewey’s list contained about 800, 
the present 1656 species, varieties and named forms. The new list 
opens with a preface in which acknowledgment is made to some of 
the botanists who have aided in the determination of species, and an 
introduction which contains much of interest. The historical matter 
is attractively presented and pays special tribute to the genius of 
Chester Dewey and of Amos Eaton (who, on p. 180, seems to have 
become confused in the author's mind with the much later and 
probably unrelated A. A. Eaton). We are told that *In 1824 Eaton 
went to Troy . . . and in 1827 Dewey took charge of a school 
in Pittsfield . . . the period of active botanical work on the 
flora of the County carried on by resident botanists was practically 
over"; from which it must be inferred that little if any weight has 
been given the botanical labors of Paul Ansel Chadbourne, long- 
time president of Williams College, who died in 1883 and whose 
Catalogue for Williamstown contains at least 6 species not included 
by Hoffmann. 
The section on Physiography gives a clear account of the region 
and closes with what is, from a broad viewpoint, the most important 
matter, the generalizations. These consist of series of conclusions 
upon the geographic sources of the Berkshire flora, which, although 
clearly stated, certainly do not all reflect a clear understanding of 
simple facts and which can, therefore, only mislead the student who 
relies upon them. On p. 190 we are told that “The plants in the 
following groups are those which reach the limits of their ranges in or 
lFlora of Berkshire County, Massachusetts by Ralph Hoffmann— Proc. Bost. Soc. 
Nat. Hist. xxxvi. no 5, pp. 171-382. March, 1922. 
