THE FLORA OP DORSETSHIRE. 121 



none of them have the peculiar merit of associating ordinary 

 gardening operations, for example, with the functions and structure 

 of familiar plants, in the striking fashion of this excellent book. It 

 has this farther merit of introducing students incidentally to a 

 better understanding of pathology, and it would be a good book to 

 read before the translation of Hartig's admirable volume recently 

 noticed in our pages (1894, p. 380). Now that County Councils 

 are teaching both horticulture and agriculture, such a book as 

 this one comes at a singularly opportune time. 



There is first an introductory chapter, then an account of the 

 structure and nutrition of roots and their treatment ; next the 

 stem and the leaf are similarly described, and their treatment dealt 

 with. Interesting chapters follow on the use of shoots for propa- 

 gating, the theory of watering, the flower, fruits, and seeds. l)r. 

 Sorauer's name is a warrant of the excellence of the original, and 

 Prof. Weiss has given a most accurate and clearly written trans- 

 lation, which reads so well that we have none but minor criticisms 

 to make of it. Is not plant physiology better than " vegetable 

 physiology"? "Vegetable organism" sounds uncouth. The use 

 of "function" as a verb is deplorable ; laboratory slang must not 

 encroach on literature. "Already after twelve hours" is too 

 suggestive of the original. But it will be seen, from the character 

 of these criticisms, how little fault is to be found with this 

 interesting and valuable book. Keaders in this country owe Prof. 

 Weiss cordial thanks for the admirable gift of a good honest 

 translation of this work. q jyj^ 



The Flora of Dorsetshire, rvith a sketch of the Topography, River System, 

 and (Jeoiuyy of the County. By J. C. Mansel-Pleydell, B.A., 

 F.L.S., F.Gr.S. 2nd ed., with two maps. Printed for private 

 circulation only. 1895. 8vo, pp. xxxviii, 315, xxv. 



Mr. Mansel-Pleydell is to be congratulated on this new edition 

 of a book published in 1874, which has for some time been difficult 

 of access. It is not every one who, at a period of life considerably 

 beyond the traditional "threescore years and ten," is privileged to 

 supennteud a new edition of a book twenty years before ; and we are 

 glad to know that Mr. Mansel-Pleydell's interest in the plants of 

 the county with which he has been so long associated is as keen 

 as ever. 



The present Flora differs in many respects from the first. The 

 references to Babington, Syme, Gerard, &c., are omitted. The 

 marks of certainty used so freely in the first edition after authors' 

 names are also omitted, though it was obvious enough what was 

 meant ; i.e., that the compiler had seen a Dorset specimen, not an 

 author's type. 



A few notes which suggested themselves on looking through the 

 book may fitly form the present notice. Under the aquatic 

 Ranunculi there is a slight tendency to lessen the number of 

 species. At page 6, a note by the Rev. W. M. Piogers will interest 

 British botanists. I may say that Mr. Watson always considered 



