108 



that he is gathering material with a view to publishing a flora of 

 Cayuga County. The co-operation of local botanists is solicited. 



Appalachia for June contains a few notes on the flora of the White 

 Mountain region, and the statement is made that Finns Banksiana 

 has been detected on Welch Mountain (lat. 43"^ 55' N., long. yi^'as'W.) 



The Pharmacist (Chicago) begins the publication, in the July 

 number, of a catalogue of plants observed and collected by Dr. F. 

 Brendel in the vicinity of Peoria, III., between 1852 and 1877. From 

 a synopsis prefixed to Dr. Brendel's paper, we learn that the list will 

 embrace the names of 874 species of Phaenogams and of 87 

 Cryptogams. 



Botanical Literature. 



Native 



Ferns and their Allies^ with Synoptical Descriptions 

 of the American Pteridophyta North of Mexico. By Lucien M. 

 Underwood, Ph. D, 2d edition. Bloomington, 111. 1882, 



A little more than a year ago a neat and modest volume made its 

 appearance under the title of *' Our Native Ferns," which appears to 

 have met with so much success that the author has disposed of his 

 entire edition and now comes forward with a second, enlarged so as 

 to include the entire Fteridophyta of the United States. 



That portion devoted to the Ferns remains substantially the same as 

 in the first edition, with only such changes and additions as were 

 necessary to bring the work forward to date and make it complete — a 

 fact which shows howmuch care the author bestowed upon his book 

 in the first place, and guarantees the trustworthiness of the present 

 edition ; but the addition of the remaining vascular cryptogams 

 greatly increases the value of the book, and makes it doubly useful 

 to all who seek to study this class of plants. 



The author tells us in his preface that he has spared no pains to 

 make his book thoroughly reliable (a fact of which the book itself fur- 

 nishes sufficient evidence), and has therefore consulted freely the 

 descriptive works of the highest authorities in order to ensure cer- 

 tainty in his descriptions. 



There is no apparent disposition, however, to follow others, unless 

 by so doing his own purposes may be the better carried out, but, on 

 the contrary, the author shows much originality of thought, and inde- 

 pendence of judgment in the treatment of his work throughout. 



The elementary part is clear, and well calculated to introduce be- 

 ginners to the study of the plants treated of. The excellent key 

 makes the analysis of the ferns comparatively easy. Of the other 

 plants it is enough to say that their treatment rests upon such author- 

 ities as Dr. Engelmann for the Isoetes, Spring for the Lycopodiaceae, 

 and Milde for the Fquiseta. 



The writer can personally testify to the earnestness and fidelity 

 with which the author has sought to make his work complete, and 

 cordially commends the book to all. 



It should be in the hands of all who are especially interested in 

 the vascular Cryptogams of the United States. — G. E. D. 



