NORTH AMERICAN MOSSES. 165 



readers who have not made acquaintance with the origiual. The 

 second part deals with the parasites according to systematic order, 

 inchiding pathogenic organisms from among the Mycetozoa — of 

 which the greater part concerns that doubtful mycetozoon Fltas- 

 vwdiophora — tlie Bacteria, and the Algfe. 



It is only human to have a distrust of translations which are 

 uot only translated, but edited. The process is generally in- 

 excusable, and it often means merely that the translator is "too 

 big for his boots." Dr. Smith has made a number of additions of 

 a useful, hardworking, conscientious, and unobtrusive character, 

 for the most part carefully. indicated by "(Edit.)"; he has thereby 

 distinctly added to the serviceableness of the book, and deserves 

 credit — but all the same he would have done as well not to give it 

 the bad name of being edited. If these additions had been "notes 

 by the translator," praise would have naturally flowed out to him 

 for his judgment — the state of being edited, claims credit and chal- 

 lenges criticism at once. However, let us be blind to such minor 

 considerations. He has done his work all through remarkably well, 

 and has laid many botanists under an obligation to him for a real 

 service rendered with care and judgment. 



G. M. 



Analytic Keys to the Genera and Species of North American Mosses. 

 By C. R. Barnes & F. D. Heald. Madison, Wis. Dec. 1896. 

 Pp. X, 212. Price 1 dollar. 



Tms work will be found in vol. i. of the Bulletin (Science 

 Series) of the University of Wisconsin, and as it is of a supple- 

 mentary nature, its bibliographical position may be most easily 

 ascertained if we take a brief survey of the history of the study of 

 Mosses in the United States. 



It was more than forty years ago that Sullivant, the leading 

 bryologist in his country, having made a name for himself in con- 

 nection with the Mosses of the Eastern States, began to entertain 

 the notion of compiling a Manual of the Moss-flora of the whole 

 continent, and to collect and investigate the requisite material, 

 Lesquereux assisting him in the work. He described a large 

 number of new species in his beautifully illustrated 7t'o?u'.s Muscnnun. 

 and elsewhere ; but before he could realize his purpose he died in 

 1873. Lesquereux then essayed to complete his late colleague's 

 task, and, being incapacitated by the failure of his sight, secured 

 the assistance of T. P. James. The work was well-nigh finished in 

 1882, when James died. With Renauld's help the remaining 

 determinations were made ; and at last Lesquereux & James's 

 Manual of the Mosses of North America (Boston, 1884) was passed 

 through the press under the editorship of Sereno Watson, a com- 

 petent botanist, but one that lacked the special qualifications of a 

 bryologist. Under the circumstances it is not surprising that 

 artificial keys to the genera and species found no place in the 

 Manual. This regrettable omission has been made good by Prof. 

 Barnes, who in 1886 issued a key to the genera, and in 1890 keys 



