82 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



British plants, bub not recorded as occurring in Britain. The 

 idea is excellent, but it is rather disconcerting to find that in 

 both cases many well-authenticated British records have not been 

 accepted. 



The treatment of the Peronosporaceae and Erysiphaceee calls 

 for no special comment, save that what is said of Phytophthora 

 erythroseptica shows that Pethybridge's account of the life-history 

 of the fungus has not been carefully read, and the comments 

 indicate a want of knowledge of recent work on the genus. The 

 treatment of the Uredinales seems far from satisfactory. Certain 

 species of ^cidiwn and Ureclo are placed in an appendix, though 

 in some cases, e. g. ^cidnmi leucospermum, the alternate stage is 

 well known on the Continent, and ought certainly to have been 

 mentioned. To accept most of the biological species of Puccinia 

 and then to give only three species of Melampsora seems illogical. 

 It is interesting to find that Phragmidium Fragariastri is made 

 to include P. Poterii, P. Sanguisorbce, P. Potentillce, and P. Tor- 

 mentillce on the ground of morphological transitions. Truly, 

 P. TormentillcB seems at present to be undergoing many vicissi- 

 tudes (c/. p. 53). The author also considers that Hemileia 

 amoricana is our only British species. There are many misprints. 

 Mistakes are also far from infrequent. " The only British species " 

 of Endopihyllum (p. 68) becomes the usual two on p. 93. Bifi'en 

 (p. 129) is given credit for experiments pei'foi-med by Tranzschel 

 and confirmed by Brooks. The collaborator of Pethybridge in 

 the investigation of the potato disease becomes "Murray" instead 

 of the more appropriate "Murphy." The " ascigerous condition" 

 of Calyptospora Gosppertiana is given in plate iii. The genus 

 Chrysomyxa seems to be absent altogether, except in one of the 

 plates, whilst Pucciniastrum is apparently represented by one 

 species of Uredo placed in the appendix. There is little, if any- 

 thing, new in the treatment of the Ustilaginales. 



In three places are statements with regard to the lack of books 

 dealing with the microscopic fungi here considered. "It is now 

 nearly half a century since the last British book on fungi, includ- 

 ing the rusts and mildews, was published." This presumably was 

 Cooke's Handbook. The statement is misleading. The fact is 

 that it is now customary to monograph groups separately, and 

 not to consider collectively five families which have practically 

 nothing in common. Perisporiaceae (two genera, four species) is 

 the only family which has not been treated by a British author 

 since Cooke's book, which included the whole of the fungi. 



The book contains an index of genera and species and another 

 of host-plants. Both appear to be very good. The plates give 

 clear line drawings, but their usefulness is questionable ; a few 

 text-figures would have been of greater aid to students. The book 

 is of a size that makes it possible to be carried in the pocket. If 

 more care had been taken with it, we imagine that the book, which 

 is strongly bound and well printed, would have been the field 

 companion of most British mycologists ; even as it is, it will be 

 found the most convenient for work in the field. 



J. Eamsbottom. 



