1898] SOME NEW BOOKS 425 



undoubtedly it would be in life. Below it, on a bottom that is 

 apparently muddy, is a Holopus, which certainly ought to have been 

 attached to the rocks, though not on the same page as the Pentacrinus, 

 of which genus there appear to be other specimens, wildly waving 

 about on a vertical precipice in the background, fortunately, this is 

 the only picture of the kind. The printing of the book is excellent, 

 but the type and paper used have made the volumes rather too portly 

 for comfort With the works of the two Perriers, of Pelage and 

 Hdrouard, of Blanchard with his corps of specialists, and of Roule, 

 our friends across the Channel suffer from no lack of home-made 

 text-books. And on this they are distinctly to be congratulated. 



Plant Life 



Plant Life Considered with Special Reference to Form and Function. By 

 Charles Reid Barnes, Professor of Plant Physiology in Chicago University. 12mo, 

 pp. x + 428, with 415 text-figures. Holt: New York, 1898. Price $1.12. 



We have nothing but praise for this excellent introduction to the 

 study of plants. The author describes it as an attempt to exhibit 

 the variety and progressive complexity of the vegetative body ; to 

 discuss the more important functions ; to explain the unity of plan 

 in both the structure and action of the reproductive organs ; and 

 finally to give an outline of the more striking ways in which plants 

 adapt themselves to the world about them. It is meant to supple- 

 ment genuine and regular work in the laboratory. There are four 

 parts : Part I. The vegetative body, traces the increase in morphologi- 

 cal differentiation from the unicellular organism to the seed-plant, and 

 then discusses the general structure of root, shoot, stem, and leaves. 

 As regards the terms primary and secondary, we note that the former 

 is used to express the original root developed from the egg, the latter 

 being applied to adventitious roots wherever developed. Part II. 

 Physiology, deals with the general facts of the physiology of the 

 individual, namely, maintenance of form, nutrition, growth, and move- 

 ment. Eeproduction is treated separately, under the headings vege- 

 tative and sexual, in Part III. Part IV. Ecology, contains chapters 

 dealing with forms of vegetation in relation to different sets of con- 

 ditions ; Mesophytes, or the ordinary land plants with which dwellers 

 in fertile temperate climates are acquainted ; Xerophytes, or plants 

 adapted to dry conditions ; Hydrophytes, or those adapted to a more 

 or less aquatic life. This part also comprises chapters on symbiosis, 

 the relations of plants to animals, and the protection and distribution 

 of spores and seeds. There are several useful appendices, including 

 directions for a course of laboratory work, and for collecting and 

 preserving material, with lists of apparatus, reagents, and reference 

 books. An important feature of the volume is the great number 

 of excellent figures, with an unusually full explanation in each case. 



The Physiological Study of Plants 



Practical Plant PHYSIOLOGY : an Introduction to original research for students and 

 teachers of Science, Medicine, Agriculture, and Forestry, By Dr W. Detmer. 

 Translated from the second German edition by S. A. Moor. Sv<>, ]>i>. xx + 556, with 

 184 illustrations. London : Sonnensehein & Co. 1S98. Price 12s. 



Yet another botanical hand-book translated from the German ! The 

 translator's desire in undertaking this work is to promote the teaching 



2 G 



