72 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



of the county. Communications regarding the Flora should be 

 addressed to Mr. E. S. Cobbold, Church Stretton, Salop. 



^YE quote the following from The Standard : — " The Cape 

 Peninsula and other districts in the Western Province of the 

 Cape Colony have long been famous for the beauty and variety 

 of their heaths and wild flowers. In recent years an alarming 

 diminution of these treasures has become apparent, and an Act 

 was passed by the Cape Parliament in 1905 by wdiich it was 

 hoped that a reasonable amount of protection would be ensured. 

 This expectation was not, however, realised, and regulations have 

 been promulgated forbidding the uprooting, sale, and export of 

 green ixia, pijpje, crassula, anemone, and several heaths. A 

 close season is established for five different species of Disa, the 

 beautiful flower which is found scarcely anywhere but on Table 

 Mountain. The uprooting of the Silver- tree is also declared 

 illegal. A stop has likewise been put to the destruction of the 

 beautiful heath which is found in the Caledon district, plucking 

 being prohibited for a term of three years. Coloured prints of 

 all the prohibited varieties of heaths and flow 7 ers are to be 

 exhibited at the various public offices in the districts concerned, 

 so that the stereotyped excuse that the offenders ■ did not know,' 

 will no longer avail." 



Mr. John Lane sends us a pretty volume on The Old Gardens 

 of Italy : How to Visit them, by Mrs. Aubrey le Blond (5s.), the 

 modest purpose of which is to guide the traveller to most of these 

 delightful places, leaving it to larger works, of which a full list is 

 appended, " to furnish him with fuller information and more 

 numerous plans." The accounts of the numerous gardens de- 

 scribed are necessarily brief ; a useful feature is the indication of 

 the couditions under which it is possible to visit them, when such 

 permission can be obtained. The attractiveness of the book is 

 greatly enhanced by the very numerous illustrations from photo- 

 graphs taken by the author, who has herself visited all the 

 gardens pictured ; on the other hand, its usefulness is greatly 

 lessened by the absence not only of an index, but of anything in 

 the way of a table of contents. Moreover, the title "Old Gardens 

 of Italy" appears at the head of each page, to the exclusion of any 

 information as to the subject treated; it will thus be seen that no 

 precaution has been neglected to make the volume unconsultable. 



The success of the International Phytogeographical Excursion 

 through the British Isles in 1911 has led to the projection of a 

 similar excursion in the United States in August and September 

 next. The excursion will begin at Chicago on Aug. 1 and close at 

 New York about Oct. 5 ; Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, California and 

 Arizona will be visited for the investigation of the special features 

 presented by these regions. Particulars may be obtained from 

 Prof. H. C. Cowles, of the University of Chicago. 



The Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society for 1912 

 contains (pp. 473-512) an elaborate paper on pollen by Lord 

 Avebury, wmich is accompanied by two excellent plates. 



