252 NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



author's previous work on this subject, there is reason for some 

 satisfaction with this portion of the book. The author contents 

 himself with these descriptions and a reference to his own larger 

 book, and steers clear of the pitfalls of synonymy. As for the 

 plates, they are mostly outline figures redrawn on stone from 

 Cooke's larger book and other sources. It may be that there 

 is somewhere hi this book an acknowledgment of the original 

 sources of some of these figures, but we have not yet found the 

 place. However, Dr. Nordstedt has already so fully shown what 

 Mr. Cooke can do in this way on a larger scale that there is no 

 special need to deal with the matter. These figures of the genera 

 and the page giving their names constitute the really useful part of 

 this book. It cannot be claimed for it that it embodies the work of 

 an original worker in this field, or of a man who has an extensive, 

 practical first-hand knowledge of the subject, but so far as the 

 latter part (containing the descriptions and figures) is concerned, 

 it may be said of it that it is worth the price charged as a help 

 to the beginner in naming specimens. As for guidance in the 

 structure, life-history, and relationships of these organisms, the 

 student need expect none of it. G. M. 



HepaUca Bolivians. By Plichakd Spruce. Mem. Torrey Bot. Club, 

 vol. I. No. 3 (1890). 



This is another valuable contribution to our knowledge of the 

 hepatic flora of South America by our countryman Dr. Spruce, and 

 we are pleased to observe that he still has that keenness of vision 

 and skill which was manifested in his admirable work ' Hepaticte 

 Arnazonicre et Aiidinse.' 



The species described in this memoir are those collected by Dr. 

 Busby during parts of the years 1885-6, whilst botanising on the 

 eastern slopes of the Bolivian Andes, at an altitude of from 4 to 

 12,000 ft. His special object was the collection of flowering plants 

 and ferns, but amongst his specimens were a number of hepatics 

 growing principally on the fronds of ferns, as Dr. Spruce remarks, 

 a prolific nidus, more particularly for the minuter species. For 

 example, on an Acrostichum, besides a Eadula, were half-a-dozen 

 Ijjeunece ; these specimens, many of them very small, were picked 

 out and numbered by Mrs. Britton, Keeper of the Cryptogamic 

 Herbarium, Columbia College, New York, and forwarded to Dr. 

 Spruce to determine. 



The introductory remarks on the geographical distribution of 

 the species are especially interesting : it appears there is a greater 

 correspondence of the hepatic flora of Bolivia with that of Mexico, 

 made known to us mainly by the collection of Liebmann (see the 

 excellent Gottsch. Mex. Leverm.), than with that of the equatorial 

 regions (lat. 0-70° S.), investigated personally by Dr. Spruce. 

 Many of the hepatics of the highlands of Mexico are identical with 

 those collected by Dr. Busby at nearly the same altitude in Bolivm, 

 although some of them seen nowhere by Dr. Spruce near the 

 Equator. Three Mexican VhojiudiiUc are proved to helong also to 



