348 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



adding more or less new matter and emending where it seemed 

 necessary. To one, however, whose faciUties as to type-specimens 

 are limited but whose advantages as to the living flora are in many 

 ways imlimited, sm-ely there could be but one choice as to what his 

 task should be. Nevertheless, it is not in the least the intention 

 to deny to the literature a debt which is plain, but the obligation to 

 some of the more recent * systematic ' literature must be said to be 

 dubious when one remembers the paucity of monographic work and 

 contrasts the long list of ' new species.' It is not too much to say 

 that a considerable proportion of these ' new species ' consists of 

 isolated descriptions, that there is a lack of co-ordination with 

 species already known, and that as to many of them even their 

 nearest relatives are not acknowledged. It has not been possible to 

 investigate all such. Some are obviously to be rejected — in any 

 event they have not been included here by merit of publication 

 merely. Many others, on the contrary, it has been possible to 

 study more or less fully ; of these a surprising number reveal most 

 excellent characters which are not in the least suggested in their 

 often unsatisfactory diagnoses." 



The region covered by the Flora is defined as " that portion of 

 California lying west of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, 

 south of the counties of Mendocino, Lake and Colusa and north of 

 the Pajaro River and Pacheco Pass. Very many extra-limital spe- 

 cies are described or noticed, however, so that the volume will be 

 almost if not quite as useful as far north as Red Bluff and as far 

 south as Bakersfield." We observe with pleasure thpt, while local 

 common names are duly noted, the stupid practice of coining 

 "English" names from the Latin binominal has been avoided. 

 This does not, however, apply to the grasses, for the treatment of 

 which Mr. Burtt Davy is responsible. 



We are unfortunately unable to apply to Dr. Jepson's descriptions 

 the only satisfactory test — that of use in the field — but they strike 

 us as exceedingly practical and very well done. The arrangement 

 followed is that adopted by Britton and Brown in their lUustrated 

 Flora, beginning with Gymnosperms and ending with Compositce. 

 There is, we are glad to note, only one index, which includes genera, 

 species, varieties, synonyms, and vernacular names : there is also a 

 short glossar}' — in fact, nothing has been neglected which will render 

 the book serviceable in the field. The only point on which it seems 

 to us improvement could be made would be the placing of the generic 

 name at the head of each column of the index ; but the mention of 

 so small a detail shows how little we find that calls for criticism. 



Illustrations of the Botany of Captain Cook's Voyage Round the World 

 in H.M.S. 'Endeavour' in 1768-71. By the Right Hon. Sir 

 Joseph Banks, Bart., and Dr. Daniel Solander. With De- 

 terminations by James Britten, F.L.S. Australian Plants. — 

 Part II. 1901. Large folio, pp. 35-75. PI. 101-243. 

 London : Longmans. 



Some weeks have passed since this second part was issued. It 

 consists of 41 pages of letterpress and 142 plates. The latter, 



