THE TJTJTTTSn CnAEOl'TTYTA 205 



tliaii twonty years, and has made important contributions to our 

 knovvledi^-e of the group : so that the monograph could not have been 

 in abler lumds. 



After an introduction in which are discussed the position of the 

 group, its antiquity and geographical distribution — we note with 

 pleasure that in the second volume Mr. Groves will give some account 

 of the fossil remains of Cliarophyta found in this country, to which, 

 in conjunction with the late Clement lieid, he has devoted much 

 attention — conditions of growth, and economic uses, we have an 

 important chapter, extending over more than fifty pages, containing 

 a very full account of "Structure and Development," with twenty- 

 five illustrations in the text from various sources. A ''conspectus of 

 distinctive characteristics of oospores and membranes " is followed by 

 a glossar}' and a table of Latin adjectival terms. Then comes the 

 systematic account, the inti'oductory portion of which is reprinted 

 from the " lieyiew " already mentioned up to the date of its publi- 

 cation, and supplemented by a summary of what has been done since. 

 In nomenclature the rule of strict priority has been observed ; on this 

 subject the authors have some sensible remarks. The keys to the 

 genera and species relate to the whole work: we observe that Char a 

 aspcra var. desmacantha, published and figured by the brothers in 

 Journ. Bot. 1898 (p. 410, t. 391), is raised to specific rank as 

 C. desmacantha — a publication which will date from the present 

 volume, although the full description will not appear until later. 



The genera described are Nitella, with 10 species, and Tolyi^ella, 

 with 4 : in the former genus N. capifata Agardh is superseded by 

 iV^. capillaris comb, nov., as the plant is the Chara capillaris of 

 Krocker, its first describer. The descrij^tions, in English throughout, 

 are very full; the distribution in the British Islands is carefully 

 worked out ; there is an extensive synonymy, and a list of exsiccata. 

 It will thus be seen that the treatment is exhaustive — the only 

 addition we can suggest is a few words on the preparation of speci- 

 mens, in which, as those who are aeciuainted with their fasciculi know, 

 the Messrs. Groves were experts. 



The book is well if somewhat extravagantly printed; to the 

 excellence of the plates we have already referred. It cannot be 

 doubted that the aspiration of the authors— that the issue of these 

 volumes may result in a large number of British botanists being 

 attracted to the study of the Charoph^^ta — will be fid filled ; and we 

 trust that the second volume will be published witli the least possible 

 delay, in order that the group may be studied in its entirety. 



An Infroduciion to the Study of Cytology. By L. Doncastej?, 

 280 pp., xxiv plates and 31 text-fi'gures. 8vo. Cambridge 

 University Press, 1920. Price 216-. 



It has been the unavoidable misfortune of Botany that inter- 

 pretations of Cytological phenomena in plants have had alwavs to 

 follow haltingly behind the advance of studies on the more highly 

 organized nuclear mechanism of animals. Botanists have still to- 



