•342 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



order. We believe it would be better to omit the names of orders and families, 

 and let the species stand in a continuous list, when found impracticable to give 

 later and more natural classification. Three new species are described: Panm 

 tomentosvs, Bohtus radieosus, and JS. lateralis. 



Mr. G. D. Swezey gives, in the first volume of the Geology of Wisconsin, 

 a list of the vascular plants of the State. The author remarks in a prefatory 

 note that he has not been able to follow the " rule of including only such 

 species as have passed under his eye or are preserved in herbaria accessible to 

 the botanist," and for just this reason it is of the slightest possible specific 

 value, although it is obvious that the author has been conscientious in the 

 compilation. If following the "strict and better rule" just referred to 

 abridges a list so much as to present but an imperfect view of the vegetation of 

 the State, why not indicate every unverifiable addition by a difference in type> 

 an asterisk, or other device? This would give a residuum of real scientific 

 value, and not materially interfere with the length or appearance of the cata- 

 logue. Mr. Swezey 's list is in other respects an excellent one, full and with 

 synonymy brought down to date. He desires corrections and additional in- 

 formation with a view to future publication. 



The Lens, an illustrated octavo journal published in 1872-73, by the 

 State Microscopical Society of Illinois, contains many things of permanent 

 value to the botanist. It was discontinued at the end of the second volume, 

 and since has been difficult to obtain. At the last meeting it was decided to 

 offer the few copies still possessed by the society at half the original price, 

 postage added (published at $3.00 per volume; address the society at 263 Wa- 

 bash ave., Chicago, 111.). The longer botanical articles are: Babcock's "Flora 

 of Chicago," full and authentic; Babcock on forms of leaves in " Hepatica," 

 with plate; Samuel Lockwood on "Cultivating wild flowers"; Thomas 

 Meehan "On the agency of insects in obstructing evolution " ; various article s 

 by H. L. Smith on diatoms, among them his invaluable " Conspectus of the 

 families and genera of the Diatomaceoe" and " The genus Amphora" with 

 descriptions and illustrations of the 76 species ; S. A. Briggs on Diatomacca?, of 

 Lake Michigan, Huron, Ehode Island, etc. ; Olney's " Alga- Khodiacete," and 

 others, besides several shorter articles. 



The history of the spread of the mallow rust, Puccinia Malvaccarum, 

 Montg., a very destructive disease of the various mallows, especially of Malm 

 sylvestris and Althaa rosea, is full of interest. The fungus is a native of Chili, 

 and made its first appearance in Europe in Spain, in 1869. In four years it had 

 spread along the Mediterranean coast as far east as Athens, in Greece, and 

 northward through France and the southern portions of Germany and 

 England. In 1874 it invaded northern Germany, in 1875 Ireland, and in 1876 

 Hungary. Its most northern continental point was, up to the close of last 

 season, at Konigsberg in northern Prussia, that is, if we except an accidental 

 occurrence in Finland, in 1874, while the center of its greatest developement is 

 along the Ehine. It has also appeared in Australia and the Cape of Good 



