350 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



numerous and helpful. Also the information conveyed by the 

 text inspires the feeling that it has been prepared by experts 

 who are thoroughly acquainted 'with tlieir subject and with the 

 plants of which they treat. Naturally the several monographs 

 differ in the degree of perfection to which they are carried. The 

 more recent are the more elaborate. And it will be found that 

 Dr. K. Midler's contribution is one of the best, partly because 

 it is the most modern, and partly because the author has the 

 power and takes the trouble to make his meaning clear and to 

 lessen the difficulties of the subject. 



The present volume represents half of the monograph and 

 consists of two parts. The first is introductory and occupies 

 137 pages. It treats in general terms of the HepaticcB, their 

 morphology, anatomy, physiology, and reproduction. The second 

 part is descriptive and comprises the systematic treatment of the 

 BicciacecB, MarcJiantiacecB, the anacrogynous section of the Junger- 

 manniaceoi, and one tribe of the acrogynous section, namely the 

 Ejiigonanthece. It is in this descriptive part that conspicuous 

 evidence is furnished of the author's ability for digesting masses 

 of difficult facts and presenting them in as simple an order as 

 nature will allow. By the employment of diagrams, keys, pedi- 

 gree tables, tables of salient characters, and other expedients, he 

 endeavours to render the subject less formidable to the student. 

 And he has spared himself no pains to ensure accuracy and com- 

 pleteness. Hence his work is as satisfactory as it is elaborate. 



A. G. 



Biologische und Morpliologkche Untersuclmngen ilber Wasser-und 



Sumjjfgewdchse. Von Prof. Dr. H. Gluck. Bd. ii. pp. xviii. 



256, 28 text-figures, 6 lithographic plates. Price 18 m. Bd. 



iii. pp. xxxiv. 614, 105 text-figures, 8 lithographic plates. 



Price 33 m. Jena : G. Fischer. 

 The first volume of Dr. Gllick's work on the biology and 

 morphology of Water and Marsh plants appeared in 1905, and 

 formed a monographic life-history of the European Alisviacecs. 

 It was followed in 1906 by a second volume which dealt mainly 

 with the Central European species of Utricularia. The author 

 took up afresh the much-discussed problem of the morphology of 

 Utricularia. Numerous departures from the normal structure in the 

 german species showed that leaves can be converted into shoots and 

 shoots into leaf-structures; hence it follows that shoot, leaf, and 

 bladder are morphologically identical. The author considers that 

 the most natural interpretation is to regard the vegetative body as 

 a structure consisting of axis and leaves. Then follows a biological 

 account of the various locality forms ; several species show three 

 distinct forms, deep-water, shallow-water, and land forms ; the 

 shallow form represents the optimum development. Two chapters 

 are devoted to the discussion of winter buds of water plants in 

 general ; tliese become separated from the axis and serve as rest- 

 ing buds and for vegetative propagation. 



The recently issued third volume is entitled " Die Uferflora." 



