64 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



fault of the book, however, is the lack of a key of any kind. 

 The book then, is not so much an aid to finding the names of 

 our showy wild-flowers, as it is an account of the plants when 

 found. For this purpose it answers fairly well, the descrip- 

 tions of the plants being cast in untechnical language and con- 

 siderable attention given to the uses and folk-lore of the 

 plants. One advantage the book has over others is the fact 

 that the scientific names agree with the nomenclature that the 

 botanists of the world have adopted. The book is illustrated 

 with 48 good photographs and four plates in color. It is pub- 

 lished by Doubleday, Page & Co., at the fixed price of $1.20. 



Elizabeth H. Hall has written a little book on "Flowerless 

 Plants," that is intended to interest young people in the ferns, 

 mosses, lichens, mushrooms and seaweeds, and apparently 

 will meet the end in view. In so small a book, the different 

 groups can be treated only in a general way, but the author 

 weaves into the subject a great deal of poetry and folk-lore. 

 The reviewer is pleased to note in the book a great deal of the 

 verse that he has written about ferns from time to time, though 

 the pleasure is somewhat dampened by the fact that no credit 

 is given. The numerous illustrations, some of which are in 

 color, will doubtless add to the young people's interest in the 

 book. It is published by Doubleday, Page & Co., New York. 



The Guide to Nature, edited by Dr. E. F. Bigelow, sig- 

 nalled the beginning of its second volume in April, by reduc- 

 ing its price from $1.50 to $1.00 a year. The first volume 

 contained nearly 500 pages which is about as much as anybody 

 could expect for $1.50, but the reduction in price carries with 

 it no reduction in pages. If the "Guide" does not become a 

 success it will not be its fault or the fault of its resourceful 

 editor. 



