152 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



ception, however, to the statement that the purple sarra- 

 cenia's pitchers are filled with clean delicious water, that 

 the sap of the cow-tree "has not only the exact appearance 

 but all the qualities of cow's milk," that there is any tree 

 that yields wine, that the "razor tree of South America" 

 is covered with "terrible razors," or that one of the South 

 American acacias gives an electric shock on being touched. 

 Nor are we quite satisfied with the following: "Even 

 scientists admit that trees have their laws of marriage and 

 courtship. The Indian fig tree is such an ardent lover that 

 he will actually take on the form of a vine if his mate 

 chances to grow a distance from him and by this means 

 reach out his arms that he may embrace her and powder 

 her face with his perfumed pollen. It is not uncommon 

 in a great forest to see trees affectionately embracing each 

 other. Not a few trees have become extinct as a result 

 of intermarriage with foreign trees or different species." 

 If this is so, then we have not studied our botany to any 

 advantage thus far. Somebody is certainly twisted. The 

 book will prove interesting reading but let the reader be 

 on his guard ! The illustrations, of which there are a con- 

 siderable number, are excellent. The book is published 

 by the F. A. Stokes Co., New York, at $1.00 net. 



