NOTICES OF BOOKS AND MEMOIRS. 27 



every country of Europe, viz., Prunella vidgans, Polyyonum, aviculare, 

 P. Convolvulus, Plantago major, Chenopodium album., Urtica dioica, 

 and U. urens: 



The following slight additions to the countries or parts of 

 countries given for a few continental species are the result of 

 personal observation by the writer of this notice : — Scrojjhularia 

 lucida, L., Ital. bor. (Arenzano). Antirrhinum latifolium, DC, Ital. 

 bor. (Pegli). Veronica Cijmhalaria, Bodard., Ital. bor. (Pegii). 

 Coris monsjjeliensis, L., Ital. bor. (near Capo di Noli). Glohularia 

 cordifolia, L., Gall. or. (Monetier, Savoy). These were collected in 

 the spring of 1875 ; the following in the autumn of 1878 : — 

 Euphorbia virgata, W. K., Germ. occ. (Karthause, above Coblenz). 



W. M. E. 



A Year in Fiji. By John Horne, F.L.S. London: Stanford. 1881. 



Mr. John Horne, of the Botanical Gardens, Mauritius, has 

 here given us an interesting account of tlie natural features of the 

 Fiji Islands, fi-om facts collected during his tour through the 

 different islands of the group in 1877. The greater portion of the 

 volume is devoted to matters connected with Botany — the pecu- 

 liarities of the Flora, the indigenous timber-trees and economic 

 products, suggestions for the introduction of useful plants, and the 

 like ; there are also several appendices, one devoted to the native 

 Caoutchouc and its sources, and other points of interest to the 

 economic botanist ; and one giving a list of the plants found in 

 Fiji. The usefulness of this last is seriously impaired by one or 

 two peculiarities; in the first place, it is alphabetically arranged; 

 and secondly, it contains a large proportion of names to which 

 '' sp. n." or " N. S." are affixed. Mr. Horne tells us that " those 

 species that, at present, are regarded as new are indicated by sp. n. 

 and N. S." Why there should be two distinct methods of indicating 

 one and the same thing does not appear. " It is likely that several 

 of these may be merely varieties of old and well-known species. 

 The figures in brackets are the numbers attached to the specimens, 

 to identify them, in the Eoyal Herbarium at Kew." It is obvious 

 that a list of this kind is of very little use ; and it seems hardly 

 likely that — to take one example — the twenty-two Eugenias to 

 which "sp. n." is affixed are all new, nor, even were such the case, 

 is science in any way benefited by this enumeration of them. 

 Worse still, in some cases specific names (without the slightest 

 diagnoses) are given to the supposed novelties ; seven species of 

 Cyrtandra are thus specifically named, '* N. S." being added to each. 

 It would apx^ear that this practice of publishing names without 

 descriptions is on the increase ; but, notwithstanding the implied 

 sanction given to it by Sir J. D. Hooker in the last Kew Gardens 

 Eeport,* we cannot but regard it as highly reprehensible. The 

 new Ferns of the list were described by Mr. Baker in this 

 Journal for 1879 (pp. 292-300)— a fact which Mr. Horne omits to 

 mention. 



* See ' Journ. Bot.,' 1881, p. 381. 



