44 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



who did the work. The book is too large for class 

 and field use, since it contains nearly 1,400 octavo pages 

 and weighs about six pounds, but as a work of ref- 

 erence it will be invaluable to all southern botanists. It 

 is to be hoped that the author will some daj' give us a 

 smaller volume, in which the less important segregates 

 from older species inay be indicated in some way. (Ne^v 

 York, PubHshed by the Author, 1903, $3.60 net.) 



A new fern book that fills a place between popular 

 handbook and scientific manual has just been issued by 

 Dr. C. E. Waters. It is entitled "Ferns" and covers prac- 

 tically the same ground as the popular books, but with a 

 chapter on fern photography and a key to the species 

 based on their stipes, added. There is, of course, another 

 key based on the usual characters for identifying lerns. Up- 

 ward of 200 illustrations are given, all from photographs, 

 among which is a series of illustrations of the sori en- 

 larged. These latter are especialh^ good and form a 

 unique feature of the book. In the matter devoted to the 

 species, the technical description is first given after which 

 comes more or less comment, principally from the author's 

 experience with ferns in Marjdand. The nomenclature 

 follows that generally accepted in America and old names 

 are therefore for the most part unchanged. The book is 

 remarkable, however, for the entire absence of citations of 

 authorities for these names. The principal criticism that 

 can be made of the book, is that the author has been ver3^ 

 reluctant to give credit for recent work. He has included 

 man^-- forms lateh^ described but has entirely omitted to 

 say who described them, or where they were described, 

 thus preventing the beginner from looking them up further 

 for himself. The book is an octavo of about 350 pages, 

 and very well printed. (New York, Henry Holt & Co., 

 $2.75 net.) 



