276 



leaning towards vertebrate histology as a recreation it will be of 

 more limited use, for the directions are severely technical, even 

 though they are succinct and to the point in the last degree ; the 

 presence of an expert to direct and advise is taken for granted, 

 and, moreover, there are practically no illustrations. But for 

 class jnn-poses there could hardly be a better guide, and it contains 

 all the latest tried methods for demonstrating the various tissues, 

 both in the fresh and preserved state. Besides the general and 

 particular directions in the text for the examination of each tissue 

 system, a number of appendices treat of methods of hardening, 

 staining, and so forth, with the formulae of the various fluids and 

 reagents in detail ; the treatment of living tissues with methylene 

 blue ; the gold process for nerve-endings, etc. There is a pre- 

 liminary chapter on the use of the microscope, and this is the only 

 weak point in the book. It goes far to show that the intelligent 

 use of the microscope is almost a neglected factor in the average 

 laboratory class, for the whole subject is dismissed in seven pages. 

 In order to justify this somewhat severe criticism, we give verbatim 

 the directions for using a condenser : " Sub-stage condenser. If 

 the microscope has a sub-stage condenser, raise this so that its 

 upper surface is level with the stage when using a high power ; 

 when using a low power, lower the condenser till it is the same 

 distance below the specimen as the object-glass is above it."' 

 The whole of this brief chapter is, of course, only a 2^'i'^cis of the 

 oral directions given to a class on its first day of meeting, and it 

 might well be omitted in a future edition without detriment to 

 what is otherwise a very excellent work. G. 0. K. 



CouRS DE BoTANiQUE. Par MM. Gaston Bonnier et Leclerc du 

 Sablon. 9 x 5|in. Tome premier, fascicule II {V partie), 

 pp. 385—576, figs. 554—950. Paris, 1901 : Paul Dupont. 



A notice of the first part of this elaborate work was given in 

 this Journal for April 1901, No. 48, and it is sufficient to say 

 now that the second fasciculus fully maintains the high character 

 of its predecessor. It deals chiefly with the root, a comparison of 

 the root, stem, and leaf, and the structure of the inflorescence. 

 Both matter and illustrations are worthy of high praise. 



G. C. K. 



