MILDEWS, RUSTS, AND SMUTS 81 



not appear to us " enlarged." As a rule the attempt to show the 

 whole or a considerable portion of the plants leads to indistinct- 

 ness — e. g. the Gean, Tufted Vetch, Creeping Buttercup, and 

 many others ; the Cuckoo Flower shows only white flowers 

 standing out of a black background. This method of illustration 

 has its advantages, but unless it is very well carried out, these are 

 not always apparent. 



It remains to be said that the volume Would be improved by 

 more careful reading ; we have already referred to the need of 

 revision as to composition and punctuation, and to the numerous 

 misprints in the names extracted from the Dictionary of English 

 Plant-names, but others occur — e.g. Dioscoreacece is spelt "Diosco- 

 raceae " (pp. x, 198 (twice), 209, 244) and " Dioscoriace^ " (p. 222), 

 but never correctly; " Anagrgecum" (p. 201), "Tofeildia " (p. 206, 

 thrice), " Brittanicse " (p. 224). 



We should not have noticed the book at such length had it 

 not been for the author's somewhat pretentious estimate of its 

 importance and for the fact that it is the first of three volumes, 

 the remaining two of which are "to be published very shortly." 

 It would have been easy to have extended our criticism ; but 

 sufficient has been said to show that Mr. Horwood would do well, 

 before sending these to press, to submit them to a friend who has 

 a blue pencil and is not afraid to use it. We would also suggest 

 that, should he wish to borrow extensively from works already in 

 existence, it would be courteous to obtain permission to do so, or 

 at least to acknowledge the source of his information. 



James Beitten. 



Three Books on Fungi. 



1. Mildetus, Busts, and Smuts: a Synopsis of the Families Perono- 



sporacecB, Erysiyhacea, UrcdinacecB, and Ustilaginacea. By 

 George Massee, assisted by Ivy Massee. Pp. 229 ; 5 

 plates, 1 coloured. Dulau & Co., Ltd. 1913. 7s. 6d. net. 



2. The Fungi ivhich cause Plant Disease. By F. L. Stevens, Ph.D. 



Pp. ix and 754 ; 449 figs. New York : The Macmillan 

 Company. 1913. 17s. net. 



3. The Diseases of Tropical Plants. By Melville Thurston 



Cook, Ph.D. Pp. xi and 317 ; 85 figs. Macmillan & Co., 

 Limited, St. Martin's Street, London. 1913. 8s. 6d. net. 

 1. Mr. Massee has added another to his already long list of 

 fungus text-books. The groups included are, with the exception 

 of Perisporiacese, indicated in the subtitle, and a "chapter" is 

 devoted to each. An account is given of the interesting points in 

 the life-history of each family, followed by a description of the 

 essential characters. A useful generic key is added and a note to 

 each genus. The genera and species are then described. In the 

 case of Peronosporaceae a key is given to the species of each genus. 

 An innovation is the introduction into these keys of fungi not yet 

 found in this country but which are liable to be met with as the 

 host-plants are present. In the rusts, descriptions are given of 

 European species of Puccinia and Uroinyces parasitic on native 



