THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 125 



ton science is different from the science of the rest of the world 

 probably lies deeper, but we shall not attempt to bring it to the 

 surface. We cannot, however, forego suggesting that Wash- 

 ington science can be made less Washingtonian by removing 

 some of the more conspicuous ear-marks. How a free and in- 

 dependent citizen can endure to have his every contribution to 

 science labelled "Published by the permission of" some clerk or 

 department superintendent, is beyond our power to fathron. 

 Doubtless it is necessary that men in the public service publish 

 nothing detrimental to that service, but even if given permis- 

 sion to publish, why parade the fact ? 



BOOKS AND WRITERS. 



Charles N. Skinner, author of several volumes devoted to 

 the myths of various lands, has now issued one devoted to plants 

 under the title "Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits 

 and Plants." As is well known, there is a vast amount of folk- 

 lore relating to plants in every land. The time is not yet very 

 far back in the past when people believed in the Doctrine of 

 Signatures and in the magic to be worked with certain species. 

 The very names of the plants themselves indicate how very 

 sincere was the belief in their supernatural powers at the time 

 they were named. There is scarcely a saint in the calendar 

 whose name has not some plant associated with it, while fairies, 

 elves, and even the devil come in for a share. In the present 

 book the author has brought together a large number of the 

 legends and myths connected with these flowers. These will 

 no doubt be entertaining to the general reader since they are 

 well written and skillfully handled, but it is likely that the 

 botanist may take exception to these statements, here and 

 there. Some of the myths are rather too mythical or too evi- 

 dently made to fit the facts, to be acceptable to the matter-of- 

 fact scientist. The author, however, apparently makes no 

 claim to being a botanist — his failure to use capitals in the 



