BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 119 



The same niTmber of the Annals contains an exceedingly interesting 

 and important paper bv Mr. Kidle}^ on " Endemism and the Mutation 

 Theory," in which he criticizes Dr. Willis's recent attempts "to 

 formulate a law dealing with the rarity or commonness of species and 

 its bearing on the endemic plants of Ceylon." Mr. Eidley shows 

 that Dr. Willis's conclusions as to the frequency or rarity of species, 

 based as they are upon the indications given in Trimen's Flora of 

 Ceylon, are founded on insufficient data. This, however, is but one 

 feature of the paper: Mr. Ridle}^ from personal knowledge and 

 observation, gives much information on various points connected with 

 plant-distribution : the destruction of s^iecies by man and the altera- 

 tions of floras due to climatic changes are considered, and the theory 

 of the evolution of species by natural selection is defended in opposi- 

 tion to " the mutation theory that new characters arise at a step, and 

 that once they have appeared they remain hereditary and do not 

 revert," which according to Mr. Kidley "is not in accordance with 

 facts." 



We have received the Eighth Eeport of the Botan}- Committee 

 of which Mr. W. P. Hiern is Secretary, reprinted from the Trans- 

 actions of the Devonshire Association for the Advancement of 

 Science. It shows additions to the lists for the various districts but 

 contains nothing very striking: Phlomis fruticosa appears to be 

 established at Tormoham, in the Torquay district, "in one station 

 falling for IS m, over seaAvard limestone cliffs in a cataract of 

 bloom." 



We have on previous occasions outlined the scope of Prof. L. H. 

 Bailey's Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture and expressed an 

 opinion of its value. The fifth volume (Macmillan Co., New York, 

 price 2os.) is now before us : it includes the letters P — E, and main- 

 tains the high level attained by its predecessors. Although the 

 botanical portion is admirably done, the description of genera and 

 species being full and clear, the interest of the work is mainly horti- 

 cultural : thus we have fifty pages devoted to various aspects of 

 Planting. There is a useful paper on Pollination by Mr. S. W. 

 Fletcher, who treats the highly important questions of self-sterility 

 and self -fertility of fruit trees. Much research has yet to be under- 

 taken on this subject and woi'k is progress in two or three horti- 

 cultural centres in this coutry ; this is most desirable, as the same 

 variety often proves to be self -fertile in one locality and self -sterile 

 in another. This phase of fruit production has received much atten- 

 tion in America, as is shown by the useful bulletins issued from the 

 experimental stations of Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, etc. 

 The Cyclopedia, which is nearing its completion, is a work of perma- 

 nent value, and should be on the shelves of everj^ important garden 

 libi-ary. 



Mr. Maiden has published a very useful and well executed 

 Census of New South Wales Plants (Sydney, Gullick, 1916), 

 " based upon Engler's classification and the first Australian Census 



