lo'i NOTICKS OF BOOKS. 



care were not bestowed upon the correction of tlie concluding pages. 

 In a book coming with authority, and specially addressed to a class 

 ignorant of the subject in hand, it was very important to avoid slips 

 of all kinds. It is, therefore, not necessary to apologise for pointing 

 out some which seem to deserve that description. In the list of plants 

 (pp. 107-1 10) are several misprints, the names of the two first divisions 

 of Dicotyledons are not given, the Buckthorn is placed inCelaslrinem and 

 the Laurustinusin Cornace(B, whilst the Order Betulacece appears among 

 the petaloid Monocotyledons ! It is scarcely correct to speak (p. 83) 

 of the fruits of Grasses and Coniposita} as formed of one carpel, nor 

 ought the pappus of the latter to be treated absolutely as a modification 

 of the calyx. The stone of the Olive-drupe (p. 86) is not 2-celled, 

 though the ovary is so. In the figures of pollen (p. 72) the reference- 

 letters a and b appear to be transposed. It is implied (p. 21) that 

 stomata are found only on the leaves, and at p. 38 we meet with the 

 statement that the Elm and ihe Willow increase only by terminal 

 buds. It must be admitted that these and some other similar more or 

 less misleading passages detract to an appreciable extent from this as u 

 trustworthy primer. H. T. 



Botanical Names for English Readers. By Randal H. Alcock. 

 London : L. Reeve. 1876. (pp. 236.) 



It "will be best to describe the nature of this rather remarkable 

 book in the words of its author, " I have attempted in the following 

 pages to explain the scientific names of British plants in a popular 

 manner, so as to be useful to those who have no knowledge of any 

 foreign language. I liave also attached, as far as I could, the oldest 

 authority for each name, in order to give an idea of its history ; and 

 as this required some account of the authorities themselves, I have 

 divided the work into two parts, the first of which is an account of 

 most of the names of plants up to the time of Liuneus, so arranged 

 as to give at the same time a general sketch of the history of Botany 

 in that period ; the second part deals with the meanings of the names 

 only." The scope and purpose of the volume are thus clearly defined, 

 and what it actually contains accurately expressed. 



To take the second part first, as it is the foundation of the book ; 

 "we find the generally-received names of our British plants (as given 

 in the standard Floras) arranged alphabetically in two lists, the first 

 consisting of '* substantive names," consisting uf all the generic names, 

 and also those specific ones which, from having been old names of 

 genera, pharmaceutical appellations, or popularly used words, have re- 

 tained their substantive form ; whilst the second list is composed ol 

 the various adjective terms found as specific names of British plants. 

 In each list the meaning of the name is given, and in the former the 

 derivation is traced out, by reference to the earliest author using the 

 word. 



The author appears to have performed what he set himself to do 

 with considerable ability ; he has certainly kept constantly in view the 

 class of person for whom he was writing, namely, those who say 

 " Hydrocot'eel instead of Hydrocot'y-le, maritee'mum instead of 

 marit'imum, ach'er instead of a'cre." All the names are accented, 



