42 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIII 



"The Life of the Fly", "The Mason Bees", "Bram- 

 ble Bees and Others", "The Hunting Wasps", "The 

 Life of the Caterpillar", "The Life of the Grass- 

 hopper", "The Sacred Beetle and Others". 



To review such a remarkable series of works in 

 so short a space is impossible nor has it been at- 

 tempted. It is enough to say that under each title 

 are provided the life habits of many different insects 

 told with a charm that turns the tedium of ordinary 

 technical science into the wonders of a fairy tale, 

 and yet in the transformation does not at all over- 

 step the realms of truth. 



These writings should prove a source of delight 

 alike to the young and grown-ups, and for the 

 parents who wish to instill a knowledge of nature 

 into their children, free from the too common im- 

 aginary teachings of to-day, we know of no books 

 that should prove more suitable or more readable, 

 than those of J. Henri Fabre. N. C. 



Key to the Rocky Mountain Flora, by P. 

 A. Rydberg, Ph.D., Curator, New York Botanical 

 Garden: Published by the author; price $1.60 post 

 paid. 



When Dr. Rydberg published his "Flora of the 

 Rocky Mountains and Adjacent Plains," which was 



reviewed in "The Ottawa Naturalist" a year ago, 

 field botanists immediately felt the need of some- 

 thing less bulky than a large volume of more than 

 1,100 pages. Dr. Rydberg has now filled this want 

 in a manner that will please and satisfy both field 

 and herbarium botanists. The recently published 

 Key is a reprint in a somewhat different form of all 

 the keys published in the Flora, and these keys 

 vAlh an excellent glossary and index make a handy 

 little volume of 306 pages of 5x8 inches and less 

 than half an inch thick which can be carried in 

 any ordmary pocket. The Key may in this - 

 be used independently of the Flora and fresh 

 growing specimens be studied before they are col- 

 lected. Another use to which the Key can be 

 put is in the listing and checking of local floras, an 

 initial letter or some arbitrary sign being used to in- 

 dicate particular localities, countries or provinces. 

 As the Key covers not only the flora of the Rocky 

 Mountains, but also that of the provinces of Al- 

 bert and Saskatchewan and the Kootenay Districts 

 of British Columbia, it should be in the hands not 

 only of all western botanists but of all schcol- 

 eachers, ranchers, farmers and others who are in- 

 terested in knowing the names of the flowers which 

 '^jcw near their homes. J. M. 



(The April issue rvas mailed on July 3, 1919.) 



