360 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



is no mark to indicate introduced plants. True this work is done in Gray's 

 Manual, but one can not always remember what it says, and may not care to 

 look it up. Now that introduced plants are getting so thoroughly mingled 

 with our indigenous flora, too great care can not be exercised in keeping them 

 apart in our lists, for it is becoming a more difficult thing to do every year. 



Catalogue of Canadian Plants. Part I. — Polypetahe. By Prof. John Macoun. 

 Montreal. 8vo. 192 pp. 



This Catalogue is published by the Geological and Natural History Survey 

 of Canada, under direction of Alfred R. C. Selwyn. Heretofore about the 

 the only knowledge of the Canadian flora we have had has come from the " Flora 

 Boreali Americana," Torrey and Gray's Flora and Gray's Synoptical Flora. 

 These works but incompletely represent it; the first from lack of exploration, the 

 others chiefly from the fact that they only include the Polypetalae and Gamo- 

 petal Be. The present Catalogue has been begun quite elaborately, and besides 

 drawing from the sources above mentioned, is based upon very extensive ex- 

 plorations, not the least of which were made by the author himself. Under 

 each species is given its synonymy, habitats and collectors. The range from 

 Alaska to Newfoundland is a tremendous one, but of course in these northern 

 regions the 'number of species will bear no such relation to area as further 

 south. In the list are included 907 species, under 243 genera, but no attempt 

 is made to separate introduced plants from the indigenous, further than a men- 

 tion of the fact in the notes. The Rocky Mountain region seems to be the one 

 most needing exploration, for the old collections, good as they were, covered a 

 comparatively small area, and many of their plants need rediscovery. We 

 imagine that such an exploration would result more in the establishment or 

 not of old species than in new species. We certainly hope that the material 

 for subsequent catalogues may speedily be gotten together and the good work 

 pushed to its completion. 



Thirty-third Annual Report of the State Museum of Natural History. (Report 

 of the Botanist, Chas. H. Peck.) 50 pp. with two plates. 1880. 

 Thirty-fourth Annual Report. 58 pp. with four plates. 1881. 



These reports are usually quite delayed, but full of new material when they 

 do appear. Mr. Peck, in spite of ill health, seems to be constantly at work. 

 In the 33d Report, besides a general list of ''Plants not before reported," in 

 which are many new species of fungi, is a paper upon the New York species of 

 Amanita, which number. 14, 4 of which are new. The two plates contain the 

 figures of 14 new species, one of them, Caliciopsis, being a new genus related to 

 Tympanis. In the 34th Report there is the same rich display of new species, 

 and along with them a description of some of our commoner injurious parasites, 

 such as corn smut, etc. The plates are excellent, but in the text sufficient 

 prominence is not given to the specific names, especially of new species. 



Report on the Michigan Forest Fires of 1881. No. 1 of Signal Service Notes. 

 By William O. Bailey. Washington. 1882. Svo. lf> pp. (with map and 

 diagrams). 



This gives a full and very interesting account of these great forest fires, a 

 good map of the burned district, and some diagrams showing the principal 

 directions of the fire. The causes assigned are of two kinds, the natural ones 

 being such as prevailing southerly winds, an accumulation of hot air in con- 

 sequence, an area of low atmospheric pressure north of the fires, opposing 

 winds south of the center, a protracted drought, and dry soil. The " local 

 causes" given are great areas of dead timber left standing, and carelessness of 

 settlers in managing local fires. 



