1894. SOME NEW BOOKS. 385 



the Mediterranean, well written and profusely illustrated, and likely 

 to be of value, not only to the specialist, but also to the general reader 

 desiring some authentic information on the subject of which it treats. 

 The first part deals with the various fishing stations, giving an account 

 of the configuration of the coast, the nature of the sea-bottom, the 

 depth of the water, and the winds and currents. The second part 

 relates exclusively to appliances, is especially well illustrated, and 

 occupies by far the greater portion of the book. The third and fourth 

 parts explain the influence of surrounding conditions on the distribu- 

 tion and varying abundance of the different fishes of economic value, 

 and detail the precautions necessary for the successful protection of 

 the fishing industry in Southern France. The final chapter gives an 

 admirable list of the fish-fauna, including the scientific and popular 

 names of each species, together with its habitat, abundance or rarity, 

 and modes of capture. 



The Flora of Nebraska. 



Flora of Nebraska. Edited by the Members of the Botanical Seminar of the Uni- 

 versity. Introduction ; and Parts i and 2. Pp. 128, plates 36. Published by 

 the Seminar, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.A. Price $1 per part. 



The botanical Seminar of the University has undertaken the publica- 

 tion of a complete " Flora of Nebraska," to be issued in twenty-five 

 parts by subscription at the rate of one dollar per part. Each part 

 will be the work of a specialist, and will be in the nature of a mono- 

 graph of the group under consideration. The parts first to appear 

 will deal with groups of which the literature is so diffuse as to be 

 inaccessible to all save those who have constant access to the botani- 

 cal library of the University. These will also be the more profusely 

 illustrated. This is a great point in the new publication, and results 

 in the disposal of three-fifths of the whole work on the cellular plants, 

 representing fifteen parts, while nine are devoted to the few vascular 

 cryptogams and the flowering plants. Number twenty-five will con- 

 tain a catalogue or check-list, and also a list of host-plants of fungi. 

 The aim of the Seminar is most commendable, and we wish them 

 success in their project ; the " lower plants " generally receive but 

 poor treatment in a flora, and their study in consequence is neglected. 

 Parts I and 2, which have been issued together, augur well for the 

 usefulness of the work ; part i (Protophyta to Phycophyta) is by 

 Alton Saunders ; part 2 (Coleochaetacese to Characeae) by^ Albert F. 

 Woods. Professor Bessey supplies an introduction to the whole. 

 A pvopos of the introduction, th.e plan is adopted of replacing the 

 familiar term order by family, while the former represents the tribe of 

 Hooker and Bentham. For instance, the polypetalous dicotyledons 

 are subdivided into the orders Thalamiflorae, Discifloras, and Calyci- 

 florae, the old cohorts becoming suborders, while the old natural 

 orders are families. It would be a great advantage if systematists 

 could agree on the terms to be applied to the various subdivisions ; 

 the want of a uniform code is very confusing to the student, who can 

 never be quite clear what is meant to be conveyed by the chance 

 mention of a given term. 



The Geological Survey of the United Kingdom.' 



The Report of the Director-General of the Geological Survey has 

 recently been issued for the year ending December 31, 1893. This 



1 See Report of the Science and Art Department for 1893, published by H.M. 

 Stationery Office. 



2 C 



