394 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



strengthened and confirmed by this second portion, in which Prof. 

 Saccardo gives us a number of additions to the biographies epito- 

 mized in part i., and adds a large number of names which were 

 omitted from the former issue. Unhke the Biographical List 

 of British Botanists, which it is pleasant to think suggested to the 

 author the idea of the work, this Italian biography includes the 

 living as well as the dead — a plan which enables information to be 

 gathered at first hand from those most concerned in the notices, to 

 the great advantage of future biographers. 



Besides the alphabetical list which forms the principal part of 

 the book, Prof. Saccardo gives us a chronological list of the prin- 

 cipal events in the history of Italian botany, one of collectors in 

 Italy, notices of the principal gardens, public and private, and 

 some letters from Venetian naturalists, the whole concluding with 

 an excellent index to the two parts, which we regret are not paged 

 continuously so as to form one volume. 



A few English names occur in the book. The author may be 

 excused for not having identified the " E. C. Alexander, inglese, 

 nella prima meta del sec. xix ; erborizzo in Sicilia e comunico le 

 piante al Gussone " with the veteran botanist who added *' Prior" 

 to his earlier name, and has been known to later generations by 

 that patronymic. Another Englishman, the eminent agriculturist 

 Arthur Young, whose claims to inclusion are somewhat slight, 

 affords one of the singularly few slips in spelling which are to be 

 found in the book, wherein his name appears as "Yung." 



It is much to be desired that some one in every country should 

 undertake a compilation of this kind. If this were done, it would 

 be possible to compile from the whole a volume which would, to a 

 very large extent, form a handy and useful compendium not only 

 of botanical biography but of botanical research, and would be of 

 incalculable value to the historian and the student. 



The Story of Wild Flowers. By Rev. Professor G. Henslow, M.A., 

 F.L.S., F.G.S., &c. With 56 illustrations in text ; pp. vi, 219. 

 G. Newnes & Co. Price Is. 

 It is impossible not to sympathize heartily with the object of 

 this little work, which is, in the author's own words, to put some 

 life into the dry bones of mere structure, by inducing students to 

 observe the life history of plants and the various devices whereby 

 they make their living, instead of resting content with dissections 

 and classifications. We cannot think, however, that the execution 

 is as good as the intention, or that the average reader will be 

 greatly enlightened or assisted by the very considerable mass of 

 particulars provided for his consideration. These are for the most 

 part taken from the various works of Mr. Darwin, although in his 

 preface our author begins by asserting categorically that "Darwin 

 has been proved to be wrong," and that the theory of Natural 

 Selection must be abandoned for that of "Adaptation to new con- 

 ditions of life." In favour of this latter it is not easy to discover 

 evidence in the pages before us. Details are in fact presented in 

 such a manner as to suggest, at least to ourselves, no particular 



