76 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



he has made expeditions to their native haunts in Mexico, the 

 West Indies, AustraHa, New Zealand and South Africa. He 

 knows the modern cycads fully as well as Dr. Wieland knows 

 the extinct ones, and has studied practically all in the field. 

 An account of his experiences in collecting cycads forms the 

 first part of his book. In the second part, the life histories 

 of the different members of the group are discussed and the 

 third and last part the evolution of these forms is considered. 

 It is quite astonishing to learn that the small sago palms 

 (Cycas) of our greenhouses have living relatives that reach 

 a height of sixty feet and others that, while they may be shor- 

 ter, are more than a thousand years old. A characteristic 

 form of fruit is the cone, suggestive of the pine cone but quite 

 different, as may be realized when it is known that some 

 cycads produce cones two feet long, more than a foot thick 

 and weighing ninety pounds. All living cycads are dioecious 

 and these heavy cones are naturally the carpellate ones. The 

 ripened ovules in some of these cones are more than two 

 inches in length. They are much relished by the black 

 baboon and are carried off as soon as ripe. In consequence 

 this species is on the road to extinction. Other interesting 

 features of this group are the ciliated sperms, which are char- 

 acteristic of lower groups but are found among Gymnosperms 

 very rarely and among angiosperms not at all. These sperms 

 are also the largest known and are easily seen with the unaided 

 eye. The nucleus of the cell which functions as an egg cell 

 is also visible, being quite the largest nucleus in existance and 

 larger than some entire cells. A prefactory note to the book 

 states that the intention of the University of Chicago Scientific 

 Series, of which this is a part, is to present scientific subjects 

 in such a manner as to interest not only the specialist Init the 

 educated layman. In this the series appears to have succeed- 

 ed. The b(Jok costs $1.50. 



