119 

 REVIEWS AND CRITICISMS. 



Contributions to Western Botany, No. 8. By Marcus E. Jones, 

 A. M. Issued February 21, 1898, pp. 46. 



In this "Contribution" Mr. Jones has given publicity to a consid- 

 erable number of new species, notably of Astragalus, and to 

 discussions concerning old species, concluding the paper with the 

 proposal of a new genus of Composite, Inyonia. The place of 

 publication does not appear on this pamphlet, which is given out 

 independently. The author's previous "Contributions" were pub- 

 lished as papers in the Proceedings of the California Academ}', and 

 in Zoe. When he cites a binomial, published in these papers he 

 does not quote the Proceedings or Journal in which it appeared, but 

 merely the title of his paper, as " A. Uinteusis Jones, Cont. VII, 

 670." 



Luckily, for the ready location of citations, when Mr. Jones quotes 

 the name of any author but himself he ignores the title of the paper 

 in which the name occurred, and follows precedent, citing the volume 

 and page of the publication, Erythea, Zoe, etc., as the case may 

 be. This is only one of many instances of the author's disregard of 

 convention, which is especially noticeable in his specific descriptions, 

 where the name of a new species is immediately followed by the 

 locality, date of collection, and name of collector, information highly 

 useful in itself, but which should not precede the formal diagnosis, 

 custom and reason alike demanding that the more important parts 

 of a description should stand first. The author is least of all con- 

 sistent; in the very next description we may find the sequence quite 

 reversed. All of the descriptions appear as if informally prepared — 

 as if the facts were set down in the order in which they occurred to 

 the writer, and were not subjected to rearrangement or revision. 

 The absence of literary form in the pages is very marked. 



Mr. Jones has opportunity for observing and recording a wide 

 range of valuable facts concerning the Utah flora, than which there 

 is none in the United States more interesting, and is in a position to 

 inform us about many things, that it would be worth our while to 

 know. Moreover, he does not merely make species but, when it is 

 found necessary, unmakes them. 



We are glad to say that there is a certain sincerity and force 



