FLOEA OF DUTCH X.W. ^EW GUINEA 855 



Kentia Gihhsiana Beocari, Corsia arfa'kensis Gibbs, Piillea jyapu- 

 dna Gibbs, Elceocarpiis koehrensis Gibbs, Kissodendron bijylnnatiu/i 

 Gibbs, Dlplycosia Liliance J. J. Smith, LoheJia arfakensis Gibbs; 

 ^'' JPatersoiiia, Centrolepis Gibbs, and Hihbertia, represent new 

 generic records for New Guinea," each taking the name novo- 

 guineensis. The Orchids number o7 species and varieties, of which 

 20 and 4 are new ; these and the Ericacece and Epacridacece have 

 been elaborated by Dr. J. J. Smith of Buitenzorg, to whom Miss Gibbs 

 acknowledges special obligations. Mr. Gepp has undertaken the 

 ferns, describing 7 as new, and Dr. Beccari the palms : in other orders, 

 less numerously rej^resented, Miss Gibbs has also had the help of 

 various botanists. 



In the second list, which comprises about 150 species, Mr. Rams- 

 bottom has several new fungi and gives an account of the genus 

 Dlciijophora ; Mr. Gepp has numerous new ferns, including a new 

 genus, Thysanosoria. In the grasses. Dr. Bendle describes Giganto- 

 cliloa novo-gicineensis : orchids again are numerous, and Dr. Ya- 

 leton has some new Ruhiacece. 



Turning over the pages, one is struck with the great length of 

 some of the descriptions. This is especially noticeable in the Orchi- 

 dacea, many of which occupy nearly a page, and in the PalmcB, 

 described by Dr. Beccari, where four species have between them seven- 

 and-a-half pages. 



The volume is well printed, but the occasional employment of black 

 ty])e — say for the names of the orders — would have rendered the book 

 more easy to consult ; and some use might have been made of the 

 page-headings. We note that the spelling '■'■ Sheffiera'''' is adopted 

 for the genus of Araliacece usually known as Sclieffiera. Miss Gibbs 

 is to be congratulated on the excellent results of her travels, as well 

 as on the possession of all the qualifications necessary for such 

 laborious undertakings. 



Two Books on Grasses. 



(1) SrifisJi Grasses and their Employment in Agriculture. By 

 S. F. AimsTKOxa, F.L.S., School of Agriculture, Cambridge 

 University. 8vo, pp. viii, 199 ; wdth 175 illustrations. Cam- 

 bridge University Press, 1917. Price 6s. net. 



(2) Grasses of the West Indies. By A. S. Hitchcock and Agnes. 

 Chase. Contributions from the United States National Her- 

 barium. Vol. xviii. part 7. 8vo, pp. xviii & 261-471. Wash- 

 ington, 1917. 



(1) Some years ago (in 1901), the Cambridge Press issued a 

 small handbook on Grasses by the late Professor Marshall Ward. It 

 was a hand}' little introduction to the study of our native grasses, and,, 

 in addition to helpful descriptive keys for their determination by 

 means of vegetative, Hoi-al or " seed " characters, contained a well- 

 Avritten and useful account of the structure of the various organs and 

 their biology and that of the plant as a whole. Mr. Armstrong's 

 somewhat larger work will not supersede Marshall Ward's admirable 

 little book, though the chapters of the botanical section cover much 

 the same ground. In view of the similarity of treatment the newer 



