9^ The Irish Naho'alisL A])ril. 



'I'he SphaguaceLe are described separately, and the last part of the 

 l>ook deals with the foriiiatiou of peat froui vSphagnum and other mosses, 

 the succession of ijuried forests found in peat, and the possible factors 

 causing their destruction. 



The theory given by the author to account for the destruction of sonic 

 of these forests by the growth of Sphagnum and the subsequent growth 

 of forest over the same area appears to us to be hardly convincing. 

 According to the author the alternation of »Sphagnum beds and buried 

 forests met with in some districts is due primarily to the underlying peat 

 being changed into black peat impervious to water, which thus plays the 

 same part as an iron-pan or cla}-. As far as our own observations go 

 these impervious layers of peat do not exist: some of the deepest bogs 

 showing several alternating layers of forest and bog peat being saturated 

 with water throughout their whole thickness. I'urther, the autlior in 

 discussing this question does not take account of the elevation of the 

 upward altitudinal limit of some oi the buried forests found in Britain 

 and vScandinavia. and the succession in X. PUirope of birch, pine, oak, 

 and spruce, each forest bed having a distinct flora. The table on page 

 58 giving the forest succession in Denmark. vScotlan 1, and some districts 

 in Kngland, would have been improved if some indication had been given 

 of the character of the peat h'ing between the forest beds. 



The illustrations, with a few exceptions, are excellent, and the book 

 may be recommended as giving a very clear and interesting account of 

 the life-history of mosses and the part the\- play in modifying the vege- 

 tation of a country. 



In the hands of a judicious teacher it would ])robably be extremely 

 useful in schools and in nature-study classes, more particularly as most 

 of the features described can be easily made out by careful dissection and 

 the use of a good hand-lens. 



I'\ J. Ij:wis. 



]<iverpool I'niversity. 



IRISH SOCIETIES. 



ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Recent gifts include two cuckoos from INIiss P. Mercier, a Muscovy 

 Drake from Mr. B. Clarke, five Muscovy Ducks from Lady Constance 

 Butler. Ringed Plovers from jNIiss Ouinn and Dr. Crawford, a Wigeon 

 from the Rev. Dr. Benson, an .\frican Kagle-Owl from IMr. R. Patterson, 

 a Partridge from Mr. W. J. Williams, a Kolbe Vulture from INIr. J. N. 

 J.entaigne, twenty-one Cavies from Mrs. Brock, a Patas .Monkey and a 

 -Soudanese Jackal from Captain Harding. 



The Kolbe Vulture has been placed in the cage long occupied by the 

 great Condor, who after more than forty years in the gardens died last 

 vear. The Patas Monkey is a most agile and lively creature, leaping 

 excitedly about his cage at the approach of visitors. 



