5Sb6 NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



undertaking of the kind. There is still less probability now that 

 we shall have any such treatise at the hands of that genial veteran ; 

 but there is another botanist, whose high reputation and great 

 opportunities for investigation point him out as the writer most 

 capable of supplying a text-book of Botanical Palaeontology. Is it 

 too sanguine to suppose that the sketches given in the 'Handbook' 

 encourage us to look forward to some such work from the pen of 

 the Keeper of the Botanical Department in the British Museum ? 



To return to our main subject : the illustrations are very 

 plentiful" (382 being supplied instead of the 378 stated on the title- 

 page), and of excellent quality, but, as might be expected, compara- 

 tively few are original ; indeed, the painful familiarity of some old 

 friends is likely to produce on the botanical student the same 

 feeling of irritation which is engendered in the general public 

 by the " Shavers," the " Bubble-blower," and "He won't be happy 

 ill he gets it." 



The Index deserves special mention, as being one of the fullest 

 and most accurate in any recent botanical publication. The 

 quotation of the authority for each genus and species renders 

 it much more precise and useful, and the indexing of illustrations 

 by means of different type is an admirable idea accurately and 

 fully carried out. ^Yith this last word of praise must conclude the 

 notice of a work which adequately supplies a long-felt want on the 

 part of the Cryptogamic student, reflects credit upon its authors, 

 and is a pleasing proof of the thoroughness with which the study of 

 Botany is prosecuted in this country. 



Percy W. Myles. 



New Books. — F. J. Hanbury, ' Illustrated Monograph of British 

 Hieracia' (London, 37, Lombard St. : 4to, pt. 1, tt. 3, pp. 8 : Qs.). 

 — LojAcoNo PojERo, ' Flora Sicula ' (Palermo, Virzi : vol. i., pt. i., 

 4to, pp. 234, xiv., tt. 20). — L'Abb^ Boulay, ' Les Arbres ' (Lille, 

 Berges: 8vo, pp. 87: I fr.). — F. Tornabene, 'Flora iEtnea ' 

 (Catina, Galati : vol. i., 8vo, pp. xxxvii. 256). — H. Bernheim, 

 * Taschenbiichlein fiir den bakteriologischen Praktikanten ' (Wiirz- 

 burg, Stabers : 8vo, pp. 36). — J. H. Maiden, • The useful Native 

 Plants of Australia ' (London, Triibner : 8vo, xii. 696). — Dujardin- 

 Beaumetz & E. Egasse, ' Les Plantes Medicinales ' (Paris, Doin : 

 4to, pp. 845, tt. 40, 1034 cuts: 25 ./r.). — J. H4:rail, ' Organes 

 Beproducteurs et formation de I'oeuf chez les Phauerogames' (Paris, 

 Steinheil : 4to, pp. 123). — A. Petky, ' Die Vegetations Verhaltnisse 

 des Kyft'hiluser Gebirges ' (Halle, Tausch : 4to, pp. 55). — E. Fiek, 

 ' Excursions Flora fiir Schlesien ' (Breslau, Kern : 8vo, pp. 259). — 

 0. Eijerdt, 'Die Transpiration der Pllanzen' (Marburg, Elwert : 

 8vo, pp. 98, tt. 2). — E. F. Belzung, ' La Chlorophylle et ses 

 fonctions ' (Paris, Pichon : 4to, pp. 106). — H. Potonie, ' lUustrierte 

 Flora von Nord- und Mittel Deutschland ' (4th ed. : Berlin, Springer : 



* The reason of this discrepancy is, apparently, the fact that four of the 

 engravings appear in duijlicate. This honesty in numeration is commended to 

 the notice of those publishers who unbhishingly make one poor block do duty 

 seveial times in the same volume, and count it each time as a separate 

 illustration. 



