FT.On.A. (^r..TAMATCl Zl t 



stances these specimens were the foundation of species publislied by 

 Linnteus in the Si/s/enta, edit. 10, 1759, for instance, Cassia viminca; 

 otlier represented species which ijrowne had failed to identify were 

 tliose in tlie Species Flantarum, for instance, V,. hijlora. Sometimes 

 a specimen in Browne's herl)arium has not beei> identified by Linnauis 

 witli any diag'nosis of Browne, but has been published in the Hifstemay 

 for instance, C. pilusay 



We hope that, in the interests of West Indians and of botanists 

 g-enerally, tliis important addition to our colonial floras will proceed 

 with all ])ossible speed. 



The Xaiiwe Sludi/ of Plants in Theory and Practice for the ILohhij- 

 Botanist. By Thomas Alfred Dtmes, F.L.S. With an 

 Introduction by Prof. F. E. Weiss, F.R.S. 8vo, pp. xviii, 173: 

 54 illustrations. Price Gs. net. S.P.C.K. 



It might be thought that there w^as not room for another intro- 

 duction to botany based on British plants, and it must be owned that 

 one or two recent pretentious works of the kind might have been 

 dispensed with ; but Mr. T. A. Dymes's little book on The Nature 

 Sfiidif of Plants (S.P.C.K., Qs. net) deserves a welcome and will, we 

 think, receive one, not only from '* the hobby-botanist," for whom it 

 is specially intended, but from the teacher, who will find in it much 

 that is useful and suggestive. 



The volume is divided into two parts: in the first ("Theory") 

 we have a description, in their various bearings, of " the seven factors 

 of life, animal and vegetable" — five (Respiration, Nutrition, Growth, 

 Protection, and Rest) "'which are concerned with the preservation of 

 the individual," and two (Reproduction and " the care of the chil- 

 dren ") " which are concerned with the preservation of the race." The 

 second part ("Practice") is devoted to a life-history of the Herb 

 Robert (^Geranium Rohertianuni) : "it is easy," says Mr. Dvmes, 

 " to watch our friend from its babyhood to its grave," but we doubt 

 whether anyone has undertaken the task before, and it could 

 hardly have been fulfilled with greater completeness. For example, 

 Mr. Dymes had been " struck by the fact that the Herb Robert in 

 [his] borders, which are a well-stocked menagerie of small and 

 voracious wild beasts," seemed hardly ever to be attacked by any 

 of these ; and this set him thinking about its means of protection, 

 which he finds in the hairs and in the strong smell. A series of 

 experiments with slugs, woodlice, and caterpillars, who were confined 

 to a diet of the leaves, showed that in many cases these were not eaten 

 at all, or the eaters came to a premature end — notably in the case of 

 a large brown slug {Limax maximus), ''who began eating during the 

 second night, but by the next evening he had turned a fearful colour 

 and was dead." " Mr. Dymes began to think that the Herb Robert 

 had to all intents and purposes solved the problem of complete 

 protection," but the grub of a weevil (Coeliodes) "habitually feeds 

 upon it." 



We regret that want of space prevents us from noticing the volume 

 at greater length, but a word must be said in praise of the numerous 

 original illustrations, and of the clear simple literary style in which it 



