WILD FLOWER PRESERVATION 261 



are useful rather than attractive ; the descriptive lists are a little 

 puzzling in arrangment, as, although the name of one species only 

 appears as a heading, the descriptive portion deals with the genus : 

 " Heaths, Erica cinerea " is followed by an account of the cultiva- 

 tion of heaths in general, which can have little to do with E. cinerea. 

 The appearance of the book is not attractive, but that need not 

 detract from its usefulness. 



School Gardening, " with a guide to horticulture " (3s. 6d.), is 

 a recent addition to the University Tutorial Series published by 

 Mr. B. Clive. It is a compact, solid, and comprehensive volume, 

 almost severely practical and, as the title of the series denotes, 

 intended for the teacher rather than for the youthful gardener, 

 who however will profit through the medium of the former by the 

 ample information conveyed. The book is fully illustrated and 

 crammed with information. 



Wild Floiuer Preservation : a Collector's Guide. By Mary Coley. 

 With 29 illustrations by Hilda M. Coley. 8vo, fancy cloth. 

 Pp. 191. Price 3s. 6d. net. T. Fisher Unwin. 



This volume " has been written mainly for the amateur 

 botanist. It has not been written for the professional botanist 

 or for the lordly being who knows quite well that plants cannot 

 be pressed successfully ; so if you are that type of soured or 

 learned person, let me implore you to put the book down at 

 once!" (p. 18). On botanists, indeed, Miss Coley is, we think, 

 unduly severe : " Many in the past had more learning than 

 patience or common sense, and their collections have so dis- 

 couraged the younger generation of naturalists that many of them 

 have given up pressing any but their rough ' finds ' " (p. 20). Miss 

 Coley 's experience seems to have been unfortunate, and, we will 

 add, peculiar : " A few years ago an enthusiastic botanist asked 

 me to look over his collection of rare species. A mighty portfolio 

 was dragged from its place, large mounts were tenderly handled, 

 and the learned one proceeded to declaim (!) upon the rarity of 

 the specimens, their wonderful construction, and their exceeding 

 beauty." Miss Coley " cudgelled [her] brains for suitable yet 

 truthful answers to the poor man's raptures " : she " was gazing 

 at a scarecrow, ugly enough to strike terror into the breast of the 

 most impudent of little sparrows, while a story of the plant's 

 extraordinary beauty was being poured into [her] ears." " The 

 situation had its difficulties," which could hardly have been 

 diminished when " a boy-friend muttered « What a freak ! ' in 

 that sepulchral undertone so beloved of schoolboys " (pp. 112, 

 113). The author is not ignorant that " a botanist ought to be a 

 fascinating companion and one of the most entertaining of guests 

 at picnic and rambling parties," " but he sometimes " — indeed, 

 frequently, for most of us have met such a person — u posi- 

 tively hurls knowledge at the heads of les autres, and pours forth 

 torrents of Latin at the least provocation " (pp. 80, 81). The 

 accuracy of this description will be at once apparent to our 



