622 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



glucosids by species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and other fungi. It appears that the 

 glucosids employed have very different values for the nutrition of the fungi. In all 

 cases the glucosid is split up into glucose and a benzol derivative. None of the media 

 containing glucosids gave as good growth as those free from them, and some of them 

 produced substances prejudicial to the grov^^th of the organism. 



A text-book of plant physiclog-y, I). T. MacDouc4al {Neiv York: Longmans, 

 Green d- Co., 1!)01, pp. XIV^352, figs. 159). — This book, oy the director of the labo- 

 ratories of the New York Botanical (harden, is an important addition to the text- 

 books which have recently appeared for secondary schools and laboratory guides. 

 An attempt is made to place before the student a method whereby a working knowl- 

 edge of the physiological activities of the plant may be acquired. This entails a 

 study of the functions and properties of the organism in connection with the agen- 

 cies and forces which influence plant life. The first part of the book is devoted to 

 the consideration of forms of irritability as exhibited by typical organisms, while the 

 second part is taken up with a study of the various phases of plant activity. The 

 discussion of the principles is acconlpanied with directions for practical demonstra- 

 tions, the purpose of the author being to j^resent practical directions for the demon- 

 stration of the principal physiological phenomena of the plant as well as the details 

 of methods requisite to research work. 



Numerous references are given to the literature of the subject, but no attempt is 

 made to make the bibliography exhaustive, only the more important recent publica- 

 tions or those which treat of phases of plant life not touched upon in the present 

 work being cited. 



Southern wild flowers and trees, Alice Lounsberry {New York: Frederick A. 

 Stokes Co., 1901, pp. XV ^570, pis. 177, figs. 50). — This book treats in a popular way 

 of the wild flowers and trees of the Southern States, and is the first work of the kind 

 adapted to that large and interesting region. The text is simply written, and the 

 order of arrangement is that adopted by many of the more recent writers in begin- 

 ning with those flowers which are structurally simi)le and progressing to the more 

 complex. In compiling this work the author has given a selected list of more than 

 1,000 species of plants, the system of names adopted being for the most part that of 

 the so-called Rochester code. Simple keys have been prepared for the plant families 

 and technical terms, so far as consistent with clearness, have been omitted. For such 

 technit'al terms as are used an illustrated glossary is provided. A special attempt 

 has been made to give something of the history, folk lore, and uses of the southern 

 plants, and their distribution, habits, and surroundings are described in a pleasing 

 style. The illustrations, many of which are colored and all prepared especially for 

 this work, are of a very excellent character, and portray the plants with marked 

 fidelity. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



Botanical descriptions of some soil bacteria, O. Gottheil {Centhl. Bakt. u. Par., 



2. Abl., 7 (1901), Nos. IJ, pp. 4S0-435; 13, pp. 449-465;. U, PP- 4S1-497; 15, pp. 529- 

 544; 16, pp. 582-591; 17-18, pp. 627-637; 19, pp. 680-691; 20, pp. 717-730, pis. 4).— 

 Attention is called to the difficulty met with in the specific determination of species 

 of soil bacteria, and suggestions are given for a uniform method of description. This 

 embraces not only the morphological characteristics of the organisms, but also their 

 behavior in a large number of media under different conditions. In addition, about 

 a dozen species are described, as follows: Bacillus ruminatus, B. iumescens, B. graveo- 

 lens, B. petasites, B. ellenbachensis, B. mycoides, B. subtilis, B. pumilus, B. simplex, B. 

 cohierens, B. curolarum, B. fiisiformis, and B. asterosporus. All of these species were 

 found, probably as saprophytes, upon the underground parts of plants, many of 

 which are of economic importance. A list of about 50 works, relating to the sys- 

 tematic and diagnostic descriptions of species of bacteria, completes the i)aper. 



