lor 



Las Familias mas importantes del Reino Vegetal ^^ % h, ^^^^ 

 estan representadas en la Flora de Venezuela^ an octavo pamphlet of 

 80 pages containing diagnoses of all the orders and families of the 

 plants of Venezuela, designed chiefly for the use of the author's bo- 

 tanical class in the Central University, but also adapted to the wants 

 of those who desire to acquire a knowledge of the more essential 

 facts relating to the flora of that country. 



On the geographical Distribution of the indigenous Plants of Europe 

 atid the Northeast United States. By Joseph F. James. From the 

 Journal of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History, April, 1881. 

 Dr, Gray has made us acquainted with the relations of our Atlantic 

 flora to that of Eastern Asia ; in this essay Mr. James discusses the 



forms common to Europe and North America. He confines him- 

 self, however, chiefly to those included in Gray's Manual. Of these, 

 he mentions 360 identical species, and remarks that, if to these 

 we add the closely related or representative species, we shall find 

 that one-third of the indigenous species given in the Manual resem- 

 ble European forms. He accounts for this result by their common 

 origin in the land about the North Pole, and their southern migra- 

 tion at the glacial period. That some species reaching a high lat- 

 itude in Europe are not found in America as far north by 20 degrees, 

 he explains by the present climatic conditions. 



Sea Mosses : a Collector's Guide and an Introduction to the 

 Study of Marine Algae. By A. B. Hervey, A.M. Boston : S. E. 

 Cassino, iSSr. " A small octavo of 281 pages and 20 colored plates. 

 This book makes no claim of adding anything to the scientific knowl- 

 edge of Marine Algae ; but is rather intended to supply a want 

 hitherto greatly felt in America; the want of a book of moderate 

 price which should tell in popular language just as much about our 

 sea-weeds as collectors and amateurs generally would wish to know. 

 To this end all the characters used in describing the genera and the 

 species are such as may be seen with the unaided eye, or at least with 

 a pocket-lens of very moderate power. 



This mode of studying sea-weeds may not be very scientific, nor 

 does it pretend to be thorough, but it certainly gives pleasure and 

 satisfaction to many persons who would never have the skill nor the 

 patience to make the microscopic examination necessary to accurate 

 knowledge of these plants. A lady who can prepare pretty speci- 

 mens of ''pink-leaf," or of " chenille " may like to know that the 

 one is Grinnellia Americana^ and the o\\\^'c Dasya elegans ; and there 

 is certainly no good reason why she should not be gratified. 



The author of this little book has included the best known of the 



sea-weeds of California and Oregon, several of these being figured 



* as well as many of the species of our Atlantic coast. These figures 



are taken from specimens in Mr. Hervey 's collection, and most of 



them well represent the species intended. Mr. Hervey's account of 

 some of the " great kelps " of the Pacific is very interesting. 



With this book for an introduction, and Professor Farlow's Re- 

 port for a thoroughly scientfic text-book, the student of sea-weeds, 

 in New England certainly, is well provided with literature. What 

 he wants next is a good microscope, and, I may add, untiring 

 patience. — D. C. E. 



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