90 STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MOSSES AND FERNS. 



writers. In carrying out this aim he has made manifold additions 

 to the sum of our knowledge ; and his new book is to be regarded 

 as a fresh investigation of the group, with the gaps in the author's 

 observations filled in from the work of others. The result is a 

 vast array of facts, clearly stated, systematically and intelligently 

 arranged, and admirably illustrated ; and upon a wise and clear- 

 sighted consideration of these facts an attractive theory has been 

 built up as to the evolution and phylogenetic affinities of the 

 Mosses, Ferns, and Flowering Plants. The abundant figures are 

 for the most part new, and were drawn by the author himself; 

 they are placed where they are of most assistance to the reader, 

 viz., in the text which they illustrate. The book may be described 

 as the outcome of the improved microscopic methods of the present 

 day, and as a brilliant example of the results obtainable by a 

 skilful operator. Eeaders may be interested to know that Mr. 

 Campbell has presented a large series of his microtome prepara- 

 tions to the British Museum. 



Systematists will doubtless quarrel with Mr. Campbell's novel 

 classification of some of the families. However, it is not a matter 

 of much moment what classification is adopted in an avowedly 

 morphological treatise. The present arrangement is a suggestive 

 one, and enables the author to emphasize certain affinities or 

 resemblances which have not hitherto been brought out so strongly, 

 and which may possibly in days to come lead to alterations in the 

 classification at present accepted by systematists. 



It is not possible in the limits of this notice to represent at all 

 adequately the amount of ground covered by the author. That 

 must be left to the individual reader to ascertain. But the attention 

 of the latter may profitably be called to several points of interest. 



The partitioning of the book is as follows : — Four chapters are 

 allotted to the Hepatics, two to the Mosses, five to the Filicinea, 

 and to the Kquisetlnece and Lijcupodinea; one each. In the natural 

 orders of each class the life-history and morphology of selected 

 types are described in detail, beginning with the germination of the 

 spore, and passing through the gametophyte (sexual generation) to 

 the sporophyte (non-sexual generation) m its embryonic and mature 

 stages, until m the subsequent spore-formation the cycle is com- 

 pleted. Deviations exhibited by other genera are also discussed. 



The Hepatics are treated in three groups : — (1) MarchantiacecB, 

 characterised by a specialisation of their gametophyte tissues ; 

 (2) Jimijenitanniacece, characterised by a development of appen- 

 dicular organs ; (3) AnthocerotecB (Mr. Campbell's pet subject), 

 characterised by the simplicity of the gametophyte and the highly 

 differentiated sporangium. This latter group is shown to be of 

 extraordinary morphological interest, as connecting the other 

 Hepatics with the Mosses (through Sphagnum) on the one hand, 

 and the eusporangiate Ferns (especially Ophio<jiossum) on the other. 

 The points of resemblance are several, and are properly and fully 

 insisted upon by the author. 



Passing over the Mosses, which are regarded as a divergent 

 group which has specialised itself to meet the requirements of 



