NOTICES OF BOOKS. 245 



Algae (the gonidia). As regards Phanerogams, the outline arrange- 

 ments of the Orders is very different from any system commonly 

 adopted, and does not appear practically convenient, whatever may be 

 its claims as an expression of affinities. Every section of the book 

 contains matter, views, and discussions which will be novel to the 

 majority of readers in this country, and as it is impossible to point out 

 any part of the book as specially noteworthy in this respect, but the 

 accounts of the Gymnosperms and the Vascular Cryptogams, which 

 are most inadequately treated in English text-book«, may serve as 

 examples. 



Probably no such important work on general Potany has been 

 before published here, and its appearance may be considered to mark 

 a distinct advance in botanical teaching, similar to, though of greater 

 mark than, that which the appearance in 1849 of the English edition 

 of Schleider's "Principles" inaugurated. With such a hookas Sachs' 

 for both students and teachers to refer to, it will, one may suppose, be 

 impossible for the old and imperfect mode of treating the subject so 

 long followed in this country to be persisted in ; and one may hope 

 that future elementary text-books will draw upon the new and trust- 

 worthy source, instead of being content with copying from one 

 another the undigested and ill-understood observations which have 

 descended from book to book and can be often traced back to a 

 scientifically i emote past. 



So far as a cursory inspection of isolated portions can enable one to 

 judge, the translator has done his work with faithfulness and ability. 

 The original book is not easy reading, and the task of rendering 

 modern scientific German into readily intelligible English by no means 

 an easy one ; occasional obscurity must be expected in difficut 

 passages, and careful attention on the part of the reader is always 

 necessary I Put Sachs' treatise is well and fairly presented in an English 

 dress. The only changes the translator has made from the original have 

 been some additions. Peferences to more authorities and memoirs are 

 given, and to English translations of many others. Additional matter, 

 too, on some points has been added in footnotes, and these appear to be 

 very judiciously inserted. Usually brief, in a few cases they extend to 

 greater length, as where Prof. AVilliamson and Mr. Sorby give some 

 account of their special researches. 



In so extensive a treatise a good deal of repetition is no doubt 

 inevitable, and a certain amount may^be even advantageous. In this 

 text-book, however, owing to the arrangement employed, the matter 

 relating to any given subject is not unfrequently so widely separated 

 that to obtain all one has to refer to several distant portions ; for 

 example, the origin of roots in the embryo is treated of under 

 different heads, at pp. 144, 425, 517. It is true a good index reduces 

 this inconvenience somewhat, still it is one which students using 

 the book will be sure to feel. 



It is to be feared that the circulation of such a treatise as this 

 cannot be extensive. As above noticed, the chief so-called students 

 here are in the medical schools, and it cannot be expected that in 

 the few weeks they have to devote to Potany anything more than 

 an outline can be acquired. Still, that outline ought to be a true 

 one. In the interest of this class especially it is greatly to be desired 



