NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



157 



publication being assigned to each, with the principal synonyms. 

 It is unnecessary to say that such a hst is very useful for reference ; 

 we think, however, that it was hardly necessary to cite pre-Linnean 

 authorities, such as Tournefort and Dodoens. An index of genera 

 would have added to the usefulness of the Census, as the sequence 

 of orders adopted is not that usually followed. " Algs and Fungs " 

 for Algae and Fungi strikes us rather as novel than as ornamental 

 or desirable. 



Under the title ' Kehquise Rutenbergianae ' a series of papers 

 has lately appeared in the ' Transactions ' of the Natural History 

 Society of Bremen on the plants collected by the late Dr. D. C. 

 Rutenberg in 1877-8 in Central Madagascar. They are specially 

 interesting to us, as he worked over the same ground as oui' recent 

 Enghsh collectors (Kitching, Baron, Parker, and Cowan), and 

 nearly ah the species noticed are contained in the sets which they 

 have recently forwarded. 



In 'Vignettes from Nature' (Chatto & Windus), Mr. Grant 

 Allen has given us a series of pleasantly written chapters on the 

 phenomena connected with fertilisation and other points of interest 

 in plant and auimal life. Mr. Allen writes from the standpoint of 

 an advanced evolutionist ; and his theories, although quite satis- 

 factory to himself, seem in some cases to demand more supporting 

 evidence than they have as yet received. Referring to Lychnis 

 diiirna and L. vespertma, he says that " even tlie technical botanists, 

 who never miss a chance of manufacturing a new species, where 

 possible, admit that they are perhaps mere varieties of a single 

 form " ; but this is scarcely accurate, especially as even Mr. 

 Bentham, with his large views of the limits of a species, retains the 

 two as distinct. Why does Mr. Allen spell Stitchwort " Stichwort"? 



Articles in Journals. — April. 



Botanical Gazette. — C. H. Peck, 'New Species of Fungi.' — 

 J. Troop, ' Proterandry in Amaryllis Pieyinm.' 



Botanisches Centralhlatt. — C. Massalongo, ' Saxifraga Rocheliana 

 in Italy.' — A. Stelzner, Obituary Notice of P. G. Lorentz. — 

 W. Zopf, ' On SchizophycecB.' — T. Haberkorn, * On Bacteria.' 



Botanische Jahrhrucher. — F. Hock, ' On the Morphology, Ar- 

 rangement, and Geographical Distribution of ValerianacetB.' — F. 

 Krasan, ' On the combined influence of warmth and light on the 

 yearly period of Plants.' , 



Botanische Zeituny. — J. Klein, 'On Vampyrella.' — A. F. W. 

 Schimper, ' On Insectivorous Plants ' (Sarracenia purpurea, Drosera, 

 Utricnlaria cornuta). 



Botaniska Notiser. — A. P. Winslow, ' On Swedish Species of 

 Polygonum' (P. Persicaria and allies). — 0. Nordstedt, ^ On Alga 

 from the Argentine Republic and Patagonia.' 



Bulletin of Torrey Bat. Club.— {MsiTch), F. Wolle, 'Freshwater 

 Algoi ' (many new species ; 1 plate). — M. S. Jones, ' New Calif ornian 



