254 THE JOURNAL OP BOTANY 



chapter on the financial aspect and some advice to those about to 

 cultivate. Fungus diseases and insect-pests are described in 

 detail and remedies suggested. The economic use of the banana 

 provides material for several chapters, from which, apart from its 

 well-known value as a food, it appears to have medicinal value, 

 and also to be worth consideration as a source of alcohol. The 

 author does not, however, encourage any hope of its competing 

 with M. textilis and other species as a soui'ce of fibre. An inte- 

 resting account is given of the development of the banana trade 

 and the manner of transport of the fruit by sea and land ; and a 

 useful series of chapters is devoted to a general review of the 

 cultivation of the banana and plantain in various parts of the 

 Tropics. The last chapter is a systematic botanical account of 

 the species of Miisa, nearly seventy in number, each of which is 

 briefly described. An appendix supplies a few recipes for cooking 

 bananas. ABE 



Die Silsswasscr- flora Deutschlancls, Osterrcichs tmd der Schiveiz. 



Heft 1 : Flagellata I., von A. Pascher und E. Lammermann. 



Jena. 1914. 

 This volume will prove a useful and reliable key to the 

 Pantostomatinae, Protomastiginge and Distomatinse. It is a 

 fitting complement to Part II. of the Flagellata already issued. 

 Pascher contributes the introductory remarks and Lammermann 

 the important systematic part. The figures are reasonably good, 

 but the descriptions are in many cases very brief, with no critical 

 remarks and no distribution. One fails to see why scores of 

 species should be included in a flora of Germany, Austria and 

 Switzerland, with the remarks " Bislang nur aus Nordamerika," 

 &c. It implies that all Flagellates have a world-wide distribution, 

 whereas there is much evidence to the contrary. 



Heft 6: Chlorophyceae III., von W. Heering. Jena. 1914. — 

 This part includes the Ulotrichales, Microsporales and CEdo- 

 goniales, and it is the best of the series yet published. The 

 descriptions are good, but the figures, more especially in the 

 Chgetophoraceae, leave much to be desired. The general account 

 of the genus Microspora is incorrect, both in the cytology and 

 formation of zoogonidia. Once more many genera and numerous 

 species are included which should have no place in a Flora of 

 Central Europe. Some American and even African genera and 

 species are described and figured, none of which are known to 

 occur, and most of which are never likely to occur in Europe. 

 Inclusions of this kind are positively harmful and misleading, 

 although apparently quite in keeping with the German character. 

 Dr. Heering's treatment of the species of many of the genera is 

 excellent and is accompanied by considerable critical observation. 

 On the whole, this little volume will prove a useful, if small, 

 laboratory guide. 



G. S. West. 



