404 
ner hundreds of interesting biological questions that have been 
practically excluded from the attention of very many people 
through the technicality of authors. Now, indeed, for the first 
time, are thrown open wide the gates to the natural history of 
plants and all may enter and enjoy the wide range of the whole 
field. The above mentioned seemingly unattractive subjects are 
invested with a charm that must arouse the enthusiasm of all. 
Thus under the rather unattractive title of Absorption of Nutri- 
ment, is discussed, among many other subjects, the adjustment of 
leaves to the welfare of the root; plants with traps and pitfalls to 
ensnare animals. So also under conduction of food a chapter is 
given to all those wonderful adaptations whereby the plant may 
suffer no inconvenience from untoward external conditions that » 
would interfere in any way with its life current; and then again 
are taken up those adjustments of branches and that exquisite 
moulding of leaf forms and their relation to the branches where- 
by the best interests of the plant are subserved, and in this con- 
nection follows a discussion of the protection of leaves against 
the attacks of animals. The work is in a sense exhaustive, 
copiously illustrated, the wood engravings especially being ¢*~ 
cellent, and the translator reflects most happily the spirit of the 
author. Cc: C. Curt. 
The London Catalogue of British Plants. The recent publica- 
_ tion of the ninth edition of the list of higher plants growing natu- 
rally in Great Britain and Ireland (the Characeae are appended), 
affords opportunity for ascertaining just how widely British bota- 
nists differ from our recently issued “List of Pteridophytes and 
Spermatophytes” in the nomenclature of genera. From the 
statements of some writers one might be lead to infer that the dis- 
agreements would be very numerous, but it appears that this 1S 
not the case. 
The total number of genera listed in the English publication, 
exclusive of the Characeae, is 538. The «List of Pteridophyt# 
and Spermatophyta growing without cultivation in eastern North 
America” contains 970. Allowing for differences in generic limi- 
tations, the London Catalogue sometimes uniting genera which 
the “Check-list” holds distinct, and vice versa, there are about 
