20 
Engelmann’s species been referred to a species previously de- 
scribed. Funcus Breweri, Engelmann, is, however, considered 
doubtfully distinct from ¥. Leseuriz. 
At the end. of the monograph, pp. 468 to 487, is given in 
tabular form the names as recognized by the author, of all the 
Junci exsicatti to be found in accessible herbaria. 
The nomenclature adopted by the author varies somewhat 
from that followed by the leading botanists and other naturalists 
in this country. For example, if a species includes two or more 
forms, Buchenau usually gives to the form that was the type a 
varietal name, commonly var. genuinus. The custom followed 
by Gray, and now by almost all naturalists, is to allow the name 
of the species to stand for the form originally described, and to 
add varietal names only to forms subsequently described. 
Funcus leptocaulis, Torrey and Gray, still retained by Buche- 
nau, should be ¥. jili~endulus, as pointed out by Britton. 
Another point in nomenclature at variance with American 
custom is illustrated by the total loss of the Linnean name ¥un- 
cus articulatus, The species as originally described has been 
separated into two; and instead of adopting the Linnazan name 
for one of them, two later names are taken up. 
As a whole, the work forms a very valuable working basis to 
the study of North American Juncacez, as it is the best present 
summary of our general knowledge of the group. 
F.-¥; COVILLE: 
ffistology and Physiology of the Characee.—The “ Botani- 
sches Centralblatt,”’ Vol. 44, Nos. 1 and 2, contains an article with 
the above title, written by Dr. Overton in the University of 
Zirich. The work is only fragmentary, being parts of results of 
experiments not yet finished. It was begun with the aim to dis- 
cover the nature and function of the peculiar little bodies known 
in German as wimperkcerperchen, ciliated bodies, which float 
about with the rotating protoplasm; also with the hope that by 
following closely the processes concerned in the development of 
the spores, some light might be thrown on the relationship of. this 
group to others, and some points obtained regarding the morpho- 
logical signification of the central canal cell of the Archegoniata, 
