502 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



genera. In the American Naturalist for October, Mr. Sereno 

 Watson gives a critical review of the "Flora," and states 

 that, comparing the last-named work with Gray's Manual, 

 the probable total number of species of phamogamous plants 

 in North America is between nine and ten thousand. The 

 following statistics, by Mr. Watson, are of general interest: 

 "As regards the distribution of this (North American) flora, 

 it appears, from a very cursory examination, that it divides 

 readily into an eastern, a central, and a western section. 

 The first may be considered as covered essentially by Gray's 

 Manual and Chapman's Flora, and the last in good degree 

 by the Botany of California. Taking these as guides, and 

 making to each the additions indicated by the present 'Flo- 

 ra,' it is found that the eastern division includes 610 Native 

 species, of which 130 are peculiar to the Manual, 205 to 

 Chapman's Flora, and 275 common to both. The Botany of 

 California includes 567 species, of which 58 belong also to 

 the Atlantic States. Of the remaining 450 species, 48 are 

 high northern and do not enter the United States ; 8 are Mex- 

 ican and not yet found within our limits; 290 are mainly 

 southern, belonging to the warmer and dryer interior; and 

 103 are found only in the Rocky Mountains or the cooler re- 

 gion westward to Oregon. Had Greenland been included 

 in the limits adopted by Dr. Gray, only two other species 

 (Veronica fruticulosa and Gentiana nivalis) would have been 

 added, and of these the latter is reported from Labrador." 



Second only to the work of Professor Gray in its impor- 

 tance to the student of the North American flora is the 

 " Index to American Botany," by Mr. Sereno Watson, of 

 which Part I. has appeared, and includes the JPolypetalce. It 

 covers about 450 pages and forms one of the Smithsonian 

 miscellaneous collections. The preparation of the " Index " 

 must have required very great labor, and the work has been 

 most carefully and accurately performed by Mr. Watson. 



Besides the two works already mentioned, there are sev- 

 eral articles to be noticed in which new American species 

 have been described. In the Proceedings of the American 

 Academy of Arts and Sciences of January 9, Professor Gray 

 has a paper on the American species of Klatine, of which he 

 recognizes four; and a second paper on Two New Genera of 

 Acanthacece: Carlowrightia, in honor of Mr. Charles Wright, 



