REVIEWS AND CRITICISMS. 33 



recently employed on scientific investigations in Lower 

 California, on behalf of the French Government. 



This spreading shrub occurs in the desert- regions both of 

 Southern and Lower California^ and varies in height, according 

 to situation, from 1| to nearly 6 feet. It appears to thrive in any 

 condition of soil and situation. save where it is very wet, and 

 seems to confine itself to low altitudes. According to M. 

 Diguet the small leaves persist through the most protracted 

 droughts, but the flowers only appear when a greater amount 

 of moisture occurs: if moisture continue, fruits "set," but 

 only mature if several rains have fallen in the course of the 

 year: if water fail, they dry up and fall, no matter what 

 state of development may have been reached. The inhabi- 

 tants of Lower California eat the fresh seeds, deprived of 

 their covering, like almonds; when dried by fire and ground 

 they are used as a beverage, in the form of tablets made up 

 with sugar, or as a simple infusion. An analysis of the fire- 

 dried seeds shows them to contain 48.30% of fatty matter. 

 The oil solidifies at 5*^, is suitable for food and of good 

 quality, and possesses the immense advantage of not turning 

 rancid; in Lower California it is prepared by ebullition 

 with water. M. Diguet recommends this shrub for culture 

 in the desert regions of the French colonies of North 

 Africa. — J. b. d. 



An attempt to ascertain the actual dates of publication of 



the various parts of Rees' Cyclopcedia. By Benjamin 



Daydon Jackson. London: Pewtress & Co.; 28 Little 



Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W. C: 1895. 8vo. 



8 pp. 



Under date of December 4, 1895, Mr. Jackson has issued 



this valuable little pamphlet as supplementary to his article 



on the same subject in the Journal of Botany, April, 1877, 



pp, 107, 108, and the tabular statement which he printed and 



issued in 1880, under the conviction that it " represents all 



that I shall probably ever be able to ascertain regarding the 



work." 



