100 THE JOURNAL OP BOTANY 



methods generally adopted in our text-books. The motive of the 

 work is the presentation of the details of plant structure in rela- 

 tion especially to the functions performed — plant anatomy from a 

 biological point of view. To quote from the author's preface — 

 "the book attempts to point out in a brief and elementary way how 

 plants arrive at the existing correlation of structure with environ- 

 ment by the evolution of the different physiological tissue-systems 

 from a primitive undifferentiated embryonic tissue, and how the 

 tissue-systems are adapted by their character and relation to each 

 other to carry out the plant's vegetative functions." 



The first three chapters are devoted respectively to the Plant- 

 cell, Differentiation of Tissues, and Secondary Increase in Thick- 

 ness, and give a good account of the general principles underlying 

 plant-structure. Chapter iv., with the title " Protection from 

 Injuries and Loss of Water," deals with the epidermis, cork 

 formation, and other means of protection ; while chapter v., 

 the Plant Skeleton, is concerned with the mechanical tissue. By 

 use of a comparative method the author is able to emphasize 

 the meaning of the structures concerned. Thus a comparison, 

 with illustrative figures, of the epidermis of leaves from plants 

 growing under various conditions of illumination, or with dif- 

 ferent facilities for absorption of water, brings out an important 

 function of the epidermis as a protective layer. The next eight 

 chapters deal with the anatomy and histology of the plants 

 from the points of view of their various physiological func- 

 tions, namely, Absorption of Water and Minerals, Transport of 

 Water and Soil Solutes, Intake and Distribution of Gases, Con- 

 struction of the Plant's Food, Transport of Foods throughout 

 the Plants, Storage of Food and Water, Secretion and Excretion, 

 and, finally. Reproduction. The last-mentioned chapter contains 

 a short account of " Mendelism " and its relation to heredity, 

 illustrated by some helpful diagrammatic figures. Chapter xiv. is 

 devoted to instructions for preparation of sections by various 

 methods and processes of staining and mounting, and chapter xv. 

 to the Use of the Microscope, with directions for drawing by 

 means of the camera lucida, &c. In chapter xvi., Heagents and 

 Processes, is a description in alphabetical order of a large number 

 of reagents and processes, such as clearing, dehydration, and 

 others. Chapter xvii. is a similarly arranged account of the micro- 

 chemistry of plant products, while the last chapter — xviii. — deals 

 with Detection of Adulterations in Foods and Drugs. 



The book is nicely and clearly printed, and the illustrations 

 are numerous and helpful. Many of these are original, and 

 special reference should be made to the diagrammatic figures, of 

 which the author is very fond, and by which he demonstrates 

 graphically such matters as transport of water through the plant, 

 relation of the leaf to the conducting tissue, relative development 

 of protective tissue in various parts of the plant, and the function of 

 the stomata in relation to its forms. In many of the figures, by the 

 use of three dimensions, a much clearer idea is given than by the 

 more usual plan of showing one surface only. A E R 



