42 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



tiveh'. In the first part the measurement of variation 

 chiefl^'from the mathematical standpoint is considered to- 

 gether with discontinuous and correlated variation. In 

 Part II the effects ol temperature, light, moisture, salinity, 

 food, etc., upon developing organisms is discussed, this 

 part constitutitg the bulk of the 400 pages in the book. 

 The third part treats of the action of natural selection on 

 variations. An immense number of experiments are de- 

 tailed, the book in this respect being one of the most com- 

 plete to be found. All students interested in systematic 

 botany will find much food for thought in its pages. (New^ 

 York, Henry Holt & Co.) 



The completion of Dr. John K. Small's "Flora of the 

 Southeastern United States," which covers the regionfrom 

 North Carolina to Arkansas and Texas and south to the 

 Gulf, adds a most remarkable volume to the botanical 

 literature of America. Manuals we have had, heretofore, 

 that made species of many mere forms, but in none has the 

 division of species been pushed half so far as in this. It is 

 the author's belief that an^^ plant possessing a single per- 

 manent distinguishing character no matter what that 

 character ma3^ be is entitled to specific rank and he has 

 apparenth' kept this precept well in view during his work. 

 Hov^^ever much we may differ from him in our opinions 

 regarding various features of the book, it cannot be denied 

 that the work has been most carefully and conscientiously 

 done. It is safe to say that never in the history of Ameri- 

 can botan\' have the plants of any region received more 

 thorough stud}^ or more accurate description and the 

 author is to be congratulated upon the completion of so 

 stupendous an undertaking. While students of our south- 

 ern flora are thus greatly indebted to Dr. Small for his ex- 

 act delimitation ol the forms it contains, it may well be 

 questioned whether, owing to the absence of anything to 

 indicate which are, and which are not, species in the recog- 

 nized sense of the word, the book will ever supplant Dr. 

 Chapman's excellent and less elaborate flora of the same 

 region. It w^ill probably be impossible for a novice using 



