BLUMENBIOLOGISCHE FLORISTIK. 849 



Blumenhiologische Floristik des mittleren und nordlichen Europa 

 sowie Gronlands. Systematische Zusammenstellung des in der 

 letzten zchn Jnhren veroJf'eiUlichten BeobachtungsmateriaJs. Von 

 Dr. E. LoEw, Professor am Konigl. Realgymnasium zu 

 Berlin. Stuttgart : F, Euke, 1894. 8vo, pp. viii, 424. 



Nothing more clearly illustrates the vast influence exerted on 

 modern science by Darwin than the extensive literature tiiat has 

 sprung up within the last few years on even comparatively sub- 

 ordinate questions of philosophical natural history. In 1873 

 Hermann Miiller published his work on the Fertilization of 

 Flowers, and followed it up in 1881 by a book on Alpine Flowers ; 

 and the list of books and papers which Dr. Loew has used in the 

 preparation of the present volume fills fourteen very closely printed 

 pages, in eight different languages. 



The various floras dealt with in connection with the visits of 

 insects are the Central European mountain flora, the Pyrenean, 

 the Scandinavian mountain flora, the Arctic, the Sub-Atlantic 

 coast-districts (Holland, Belgium, the German islands in the Nortli 

 Sea, and Schleswig Holstein), and, lastly, the Central European 

 low-lying and hill flora. Under each district a list of plants is 

 given, with an indication of their several characters, and of the 

 insects by which they are visited. Much general information is also 

 prefixed and appended to each section, and in part tabulated. The 

 book contains much information which will be highly interesting 

 both to botanists and entomologists, and will also indicate a class 

 of observations which will prove both easy and interesting, and 

 which, if carefully and accurately noted, may prove of real scientific 

 value. We have no space to discuss it in detail, but translate two 

 short extracts taken at random : — 



" Sisywbnum ojficinale Scop. AB. [indicating a flower with 

 honey partly concealed] . At first the longer stamens stand at the 

 same height as the pistil, but afterwards surpass it ; and at the 

 same time the shorter stamens also lengthen, till they finally equal 

 the pistil in height. Visited in the islands of North Friesland by 

 Apis and Lepidoptera (2), (Kunth). 



" S. Sophia L. AB. [vide supra] . Flowers inconspicuous, 

 expanding only 3 millim. (Kunth). 



" S. Thaliannm Gay (= Stencphragma Thai. Celak.). AB. 

 [vide supra] . Honey frequently not secreted (Kunth)." (p. 136.) 



" Canrpanula rotundifulia L. H. [a flower visited by bees and 

 bumble bees] . Visited, on the islands of North Friesland and at 

 Kiel (Kunth), by Apis, Bomhus (2), and Lepidoptera (1); in Belgium 

 (MacLeod) by Bomhus (1) and Diptera (1). 



" C. patuhi L. Visited in Belgium by Chelostoma (1) and Pieris 

 (MacLeod)." (p. 153.) 



W. F. K. 



