256 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



interesting photographs of the cliffs, their bird tenants (with portraits 

 of their chicks), and the methods adopted by the daring professional 

 climbers who descend to reap the harvest of eggs deposited on the 

 ledges below. 



SOME RECENT BOOKS USEFUL FOR SCOTTISH BOTANY. 



Scottish botanists desirous to compare the vascular flora of 

 Scotland with that of the European continent, from which almost all 

 our so-called indigenous plants are derived, will find great value in 

 the " Synopsis der Mitteleuropaischen Flora," by Professor P. 

 Ascherson and Dr. P. Graebner, which is now appearing in several 

 volumes, the first (in 1896-1898) containing the Vascular Crypto- 

 gams, the Gymnosperms, and the following families of the Mono- 

 cotyledons : Typhacece, Sparganiacece, Potamogetonaceez, Najadacea, 

 Jnncaginaceoe, Alismacece, Butomacecc, and Hydrocharitacece. The 

 second volume (or rather first division thereof issued in 1902} 

 extends to 795 large octavo pages ; yet it is wholly occupied with the 

 Gramina, or Grasses. The treatment is very thorough and exhaustive. 

 The following grades are employed: COLLECTIVE SPECIES (almost 

 equivalent often to "species" in the Linnean sense), including 

 groups of nearly related SPECIES, as accepted in this Synopsis ;. 

 SUBSPECIES, differing from one another in well-defined characters,, 

 but connected by intermediate not -hybrid forms ; RACES, forms 

 characterised by a marked geographical distribution or phylogeny ; 

 VARIETIES, forms of intermediate type marked by clear characters ; 

 SUBVARIETIES, with characters of less value, passing into SPORTS 

 and DEFORMITIES. The work is a mine of information and of lucid 

 exposition in regard to the numerous forms of each plant, including 

 hybrids, their synonymy, references to figures in standard works, and 

 geographical distribution ; and numerous footnotes supply much 

 information on the origins and meanings of the scientific names, 

 and often also on the personal history and work of botanists from 

 whom the names have been derived. These volumes make very 

 evident the reason for the slowness with which the work is being 

 issued, but arouse an eager desire for its completion. 



The Scandinavian flora is rendered more accessible to those who 

 can understand the Scandinavian languages, by the " Sveriges Flora 

 (Fanerogamerna) " of Dr. L. M. Neuman and Dr. F. Ahlfvengren 

 (issued in 1901, for about 73.), and a new edition of the well-known 

 " Norges Flora " of Blytt, at present being issued in parts, at a low 

 price. Both these works are of much interest in relation to the 

 flora of Scotland. 



The "Botany of the Faeroes," Part L, issued in 1901, and the 

 "Flora Arctica," Part L, in 1902 (both works published by aid of 

 the Carlsberg Fund), are full of interest to all students of the flora 

 of Scotland, especially of the mountains and of the northern and 



