160 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



the general reader. It requires something of an education in 

 both botany and chemistry before its contents become intellig- 

 ible, but with this equipment it becomes an exceedingly inter- 

 esting" account of what has recently been done in certain lines 

 of plant activity. Among the subjects treated are the carbo- 

 hydrates of plants, pectins, osmotic pressures, the plant oxi- 

 dases and their relation to color, etc. in the plant, this last being 

 one of the most interesting" chapters in the book. Although 

 the bulk of the work is the author's own, he has carefully re- 

 ported the investigations of others bearing" on the subjects in 

 hand, and a bibliography of nearly 500 titles is given. Prof. 

 Atkins is connected with the University College, Dublin, and 

 his book is published by Whittaker & Co., London. It is for 

 sale on this side by the Macmillan Company at $2.40. 



