148 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



list of names of "literature quoted" gives promise of careful 

 research. But it requires no great labour to detect that the 

 references to that literature are most incomplete, and to prove that 

 the book as it stands is utterly misleading in its profession of being 

 up to date. Leaving it to others to indicate deficiencies for the 

 English flora proper, we shall instance in support of the above 

 criticism only the old genus Peronospora (now broken up into 

 several genera), as regards the species recorded in the " Scottish 

 Naturalist " some years since. As that journal appears among the 

 "Literature quoted" we might have assumed that all records in it 

 of species new to Britain would have been noted, yet there is no 

 mention in the monograph of the following species recorded in the 

 journal : — P. obovata, Bon., P. Potentillce, De Bary, P. Chrysosplenii, 

 Fckl., P. leptosperma, De Bary, P. Radii, De Bary, P. Valeriana, 

 Trail, P. alta, Fckl., P. Rumicis, Corda. Nor is there any reference 

 to P. Alsinearutn, Casp., and P. Sderanthi, Rabh., even to show 

 that they are sunk as synonyms. As the total number of species of 

 Peronospora, in the widest sense, mentioned in the book is twenty- 

 five, the above omissions are very noteworthy. The host plants 

 enumerated are also very defective. 



Space will not permit of naming the omissions of records from 

 Scotland in the other groups of fungi included in the work. 

 Monographs are rendered considerably more useful when they give 

 references to earlier notices of the species treated of in them ; but 

 this has been attempted only as regards a few writers {e.g. Berkeley) 

 in this work ; nor has any attempt been made to indicate 

 distribution. The book also bears signs of want of care in the 

 numerous printer's errors that disfigure its pages. 



A Monograph of the Myxogastres. By George Massee. 

 (Methuen and Co. 1892. Ry. 8vo. 367 pp. 12 coloured plates.) 



It is with great pleasure that we turn to this important and care- 

 ful monograph (just issued), in which the author does justice alike to 

 himself and to his subject. There has for several years been much 

 need of a revision of the curious organisms included in the group 

 of Myxogastres, whether these be regarded as plants or as animals, 

 a question, indeed, rather of words than of vital significance so 

 far down in the scale of organised beings. Mr. Massee shows 

 evidence of having brought to the Avork much personal investigation, 

 and a thorough acquaintance with the work of others among these 

 plants, and with the extensive materials for study contained in the 

 Herbarium at Kew and obtained from his correspondents. The 

 numerous excellent coloured figures from Mr. Massee's brush add to 

 the value of the book, which will be indispensable to every student 

 of the Myxogastres. A few Scottish localities are referred to under 

 certain species ; but we have not observed any new records among 

 these. 



