416 BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 



home and among the inhabitants of the far-away valleys of the 

 whole Pyrenean chain. 



Mr. E. M. Holmes has issued the ninth fascicle of his important 

 Alqa BritanniccR rariores exsiccatm. In this the plants of more 

 especial interest are Blastophysa rhizopus (Cumbrae), Chloroclujtrium 

 mcluswn (Weymouth), Choreocola.v albiis (Gosport), DicJiosporam/ium 

 repeiis (Lossiemouth), Ectoearpus luteuJns (Isle of Wight), E. PacJincB 

 (Exmouth), Pha;ostroma pustulosum (Berwick-on-Tweed), and Streb- 

 lonema aguale (Isle of Wight): these have only been described 

 within the last few years. Another interesting plant is Bonne- 

 maisonia hamifera, on which we print a note by Mr. Holmes on 

 p. 408. Only twenty-five copies of each fascicle are issued. 



British botanists will hail with delight the announcement that 

 Mr. Alfred Fryer, whose important contributions to our knowledge 

 of Potamogeton have for many years appeared in our pages, has in 

 preparation a monograph of the genus, so far as it is represented in 

 Britain. The object of the work is to supply a long-needed set 

 of good and reliable illustrations of our Potamogetons ; and both 

 descriptions and illustrations will include the varying forms and 

 states as well as the generally recognized species. The synonymy, 

 though not aiming at absolute completeness, will be ample for all 

 working purposes. An attempt will be made towards a natural 

 arrangement of the species founded on the changes of form in their 

 progressive stages of growth rather than on the comparatively 

 hmited distinctions afforded by the fruit, illustrations of which will 

 form a special feature. Mr. Robert Morgan, whose drawings of the 

 genus have been recognized as extremely satisfactory, will prepare 

 the plates. The work, which will be issued in monthly parts, is in 

 an advanced stage, and its issue will shortly begin. 



The Royal Gardens, Kew, have been somewhat prominently 

 before the public during the past mouth. Certain arbitrary rules 

 restricting the taking in of hand-bags have been set aside by the 

 magistrates ; the labourers have petitioned for an increase of wages ; 

 and the agitation for the earlier opening of the Gardens has gained 

 force and popular support, as is shown by the cooperation of Punch 

 and the DaUy Telegraph. Twenty years ago Dr. Trimen expressed 

 himself in this Journal in favour of the earlier opening, and the 

 arguments in support of their remaining closed do not seem to us 

 by any means conclusive. Of more importance to botanists than 

 any of the foregoing matters is the recent issue of the Kew BuUethi 

 for December last, followed at short intervals by those from February 

 to September of the present year. These contain interesting matter 

 to which we may return later. 



The l^ahlet of Sept. 25 talks about the well-known "jumping 

 beans " and says " The earpocapsa saltitans, to give it its scientific 

 name, is the fruit of a tree recently found growing in a small patch 

 of morass near Alama in Mexico." We were under the impression 

 that Carpocapsa was the name of the insect which produces the 

 jumping, and that the fruit was that of a species of Sehastiania. 



