60 ATLAS DEUTSCHER MEERESAL.GEN. 



do we owe the beauty of our gardens, and the sweetness of our 

 fields?" (p. 43). 



The next paper, " Some Wayside Problems," treats of climbing 

 plants, the sleep of plants, and other phenomena of plant-life. 

 This is followed by three papers bearing more especially on zoological 

 subjects. Mr. Gerard is to be congratulated on having produced a 

 book pleasantly written, free from dogmatism, well sustained and 

 full of interest, and one that will be read with pleasure and approval 

 not only by those students of Nature who, whilst they accept with 

 gratitude much of the teaching of modern times, naturally shrink 

 from the extreme views of some of the more recent exponents of 

 Darwinism, but also by all who like to hear both sides of a question. 

 The book is well printed and neatly bound, and should command a 

 large sale. J. E. Bagnall. 



Atlas deutschcr Meertsalgen. By Dr. J. Reinke. Erstes Heft, 

 fob, pp. 34; 25 plates. Paul Parey, Berlin. 1889. 



This fine work, of which the first number is before us, is 

 published by the Commission appointed by the Prussian govern- 

 ment for the scientific investigation of the German seas, in the 

 interests of the fisheries. The practical importance of the marine 

 flora as the direct or indirect source of the food of all fishes is 

 dwelt upon in the preface, and is indeed sufficiently obvious. It 

 is a matter for congratulation that the algological investigations 

 have been entrusted to the able hands of Dr. Reinke, who is 

 evidently carrying them out with complete efficiency. 



In this Atlas it is proposed to publish figures and descriptions 

 of all such German sea-weeds as have not been satisfactorily 

 figured before. The standard of the publication is extremely high 

 in the matter of illustration, for the works of Bornet and Thuret 

 are cited in the preface as the model of what algological figures 

 ought to be. In the 25 plates contained in part 1, this high 

 standard is worthily maintained. The draughtsmen are Dr. F. 

 Schiitt and Herr. P. Kuckuck, both of whom are Algologists as 

 well as artists. It is proposed to publish 100 plates altogether, 

 but the continuation of the work is dependent on the reception 

 which it meets with at the hands of botanists. We cannot doubt 

 that their verdict will be a very favourable one. The descrip- 

 tions and plates are not at present arranged in any systematic 

 order, though Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceaa, and Chlorophyceae 

 are kept distinct. Of course a systematic re-arrangement can 

 easily be made when the work is complete. 



In order to understand the Atlas, and especially to learn the 

 systematic position assigned by the author to his numerous new 

 genera, it is essential to refer to another work of Dr. Reinke's, 

 published by the same Commission, his ' Algenflora der westlichen 

 Ostsee deutschen Antheils.' Here the more general questions of 

 Algology are discussed, and a fuller account given of those forms of 

 which the atlas only supplies the generic and specific diagnosis. 



In this first part 30 species or varieties are figured and 

 described, 24 of which belong to the Phrcophyceae, a sub-class on 



