LEHRBUCH DER BOTANIK FUR HOCHSCHULEN. 67 



(S.W.). 6. Milford. 8. Fugglestone. — Bromus commutatus Schrad. 

 (S.W.)- 6. Laverstock. — Nitella opaca Agardh. 10. Alderbury. 

 — Conocephalus coniciis L. {Fegatella conica Raddi). 10. Alderbury 

 (in fruit). — Edward J. Tatum. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



Lehrbuch der Botanik fur Hochschiden. By Drs. E. Strasburger, 

 F. Noll, H. Schenck, and A. F. W. SSchimper, of Bonn 

 University. Gr. 8vo, pp. vi, 558; with 577 illustrations, in 

 part coloured. Jena : G. Fischer. 1894. Price 7 Marks. 



The first thought that occurs to us as we look through the latest 

 text-book, the jonit product of the botanical teachers at Bonn 

 University, is, How is it managed ? The title-page bears the 

 names of botanists of the first rank, tiie book teems with good 

 illustrations, some of which are new, the text is clear, and the 

 paper is all that could be desired. And all for seven shillings ! We 

 are prepared to hear that the authors' services were gratuitous ; that 

 alas 1 almost goes without saying; but what about the publisher? 



On the Continent it would seem that a botanist must produce 

 a text-book in order to justify his existence. Generally he does it 

 alone, and generally therefore the only valuable part is that in 

 which he is at home. In the Bonn production the labour is divided, 

 and we shall expect an excellence in accordance with the increased 

 diti'erentiation. A year ago we should have been envious — then we 

 bad no good modern text-book to compare with this ; now we are 

 only partly envious, for we have half such a one, and are eagerly 

 expecting the remainder with the New Year. It is impossible to help 

 comparmg the two, as far as comparison extends, and the result, 

 we are glad to say, is not altogether unfavourable to our native 

 product. Dr. Vines has a power, rarely equalled, of bringing 

 things together into a well-arranged and logical whole, and of 

 giving from one point a comprehensive view over a wide area, 

 which is of great advantage in a comparative study. For this 

 reason we think the morphological section in the English text-book 

 is more successful than Prof. Strasburger's contribution to the 

 Lehrbuch, excellent tliough the latter undoubtedly is. 



The book is divided into two parts : the first, " General Botany " ; 

 the second, " Special Botany." Each part falls into two sections : 

 Part i. into a morphological section by Prof. Strasburger and a 

 physiological by Dr. Noli, while in Part ii. the Cryptogams and 

 Phanerogams are separately treated, the former by Dr. Schenck, 

 the latter by Prof. Schimper. 



Morphology, or the study of the form, including as it does 

 development and the mutual relations of members, would doubtless 

 find a true explanation in phylogeny. But, as Strasburger observes, 

 the phylogenetic origin of plant forms being only matter of surmise, 

 we are driven to indirect methods for our morphological data. Such 

 methods are those of comparison and the study of ontogeny, both 

 of which will give results with a true scientific basis, the latter 



