HANDBOOK OF CRYPTOGAMIC BOTANY. 277 



Islands ; 20 species from New Guinea, collected by H. 0. Forbes ; 

 670 species from Eastern Tropical Africa, collected by the Eev. 

 W. E. Taylor ; a collection from Lake Nyassa, formed by Buchanan; 

 124 species from Madagascar, collected by the Rev. E. Baron ; 

 450 si^ecies from California, collected by Dr. Palmer ; 172 species 

 from Brazil, collected by Ramage ; 794 South American plants, 

 collected by Dr. Rusby ; 300 species of North American Algce from 

 Dr. Farlow ; 100 species of European Algtx, collected by Mougeot ; 

 60 species of European Ah/(B from Hauck and Richter; 69 prepara- 

 tions of Alf/(B by Buffler ; 144 specimens of BiatomacecB, prepared by 

 Norman ; 650 species of DiatomacecB, named and prepared by Prof. 

 H. L. Smith ; a large block of Diatomaceous earth from Victoria ; 

 and 650 species of Fungi by Sydow. 



The systematic arrangement of the collection of prints and 

 drawings of plants has made considerable progress during the year, 

 and many additions have been made to it; 119 drawings of Indian 

 plants were obtained by exchange from the Director of Eew Gardens ; 

 28 original drawings of Fungi and 3 of British Orchids, by W. G. 

 Smith, have been acquired. Mr. George Massee has presented 

 16 drawings of Fungi by himself; 27 drawings of Brazil plants, and 

 7 drawings of New Guinea Orchids, have been purchased. 



The whole of the scientific correspondence of C. E. Broome and 

 W. Wilson, acquired with their respective collections, and amounting 

 to 8500 different items, has been arranged and mounted in guard- 

 books for preservation and easy reference. 



The British Herbarium has been increased by the presentation 

 of 210 Leicestershire plants by the Rev. T. A. Preston ; 85 speci- 

 mens of Surrey Faihi by Mr. J. G. Baker ; 68 species of plants by 

 the Rev. E. Marshall; 64 species of plants by Mr. A. Bennett; 

 and several new or critical plants by Messrs. W. H. Beeby, 

 J. Cotton, R. F. Towndrow, and G. Nicholson, Miss E. K. Pearce, 

 Miss F. P. Thompson, and Dr. F. B. White. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



A Handbook of Cryptogamic Botany. By Alfred W. Bennett, 

 M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., and George Murray, F.L.S. London: 

 Longmans. 8vo, pp. vih. 473. Price 16s. 



There is probably no department of Biology which has increased 

 with more rapidity during the past half-century than that of 

 Cryptogamic Botany ; whether we consider the number of new 

 organisms added to those previously known, or the novelty and 

 magnitude of the discoveries made with regard to the physiology, 

 life -history, and genetic relations of these organisms. Yet it is 

 thirty-two years since there has been any work published under- 

 taking to be for the student a general guide to the sum of ascertained 

 knowledge in this branch of science. 



Admirable as was the Rev. M. J. Berkeley's ' Introduction to 

 Cryptogamic Botany ' (1857) for the time in which it was written, yet 



