ELEMENTARY BOTANY. 153 



an unnecessary and comparatively modern restriction — and many 

 British authors would agree with him — that when the genus, which 

 is the principal part of the name of a species is changed, a new thing 

 is done and the name gone, and therefore the trivial part, which is 

 quite secondary and subservient, can without any difficulty be re- 

 formed; and he wisely points out that trivial names are frequently 

 given with special reference to their generic allocation, and that such 

 names when removed from the genus cease to be applicable, and it 

 may not be possible to retain them without involving absurdity. 



There is one new species described — Onosma elegans; not the 

 plant so named by C. Koch, which is synonymous with 0. sericeum 



Wi"''- W. p. HiEEN. 



Elementarij Botany. By Percy Groom, M.A., F.L.S. Crown 8vo, 

 pp. X, 252; tt. 275. London: G. Bell & Sons. 1898. Price 

 3s. 6d. 



Botany without a microscope is the motto of this latest addition 

 to the long list of elementary text-books. " Considerable experience 

 as examiner in Botany as taught in schools" has convinced the 

 author that "comparatively few learners have the advantage of 

 seeing specimens with the aid of a compound microscope." There 

 IS unfortunately some truth in this, though we are inclmed to think 

 that Mr. Groom underestimates the number of those who enjoy 

 the advantage. It is an age of examinations, and teachers are 

 rapidly finding out that success in examinations can only be gained 

 by the use of proper appliances in connection with their teaching. 

 The superficial teaching of science was a result of superficial know- 

 ledge on the part of the teacher, but happily there are technical 

 institutes and similar foundations which admit pure science into 

 their curriculum, and it is quite easy for elementary teachers to 

 acquire in their spare evenings something more than a mere 

 smattering of their subject. "Within the last month we have met 

 no less than three teachers who, having realized the necessity of 

 some use of the microscope in teaching botany, have given up 

 one evening a week to remedy the deficiency. We believe that Mr. 

 Groom writes for a rapidly diminishing number, and cannot agree 

 with him when he further remarks : "In commencing the study of 

 Botany a compound microscope is absolutely needless, and in the 

 case of young beginners does more harm than good." Perhaps he 

 has had more experience in examiniug beginners than in teaching 

 them. 



This is one of the clearest and best of elementary text-books we 

 have seen, and we have seen a good many ; but in looking through 

 it we feel how often a microscope would help to make clear certain 

 points. On p. 3, one of the chief characteristics of the root, the 

 protection of its tip by a root-cap, is relegated to a footnote, as it 

 '•can only be properly seen by the aid of a compound microscope." 

 It can easily be seen m duckweed with a lens, and demonstrated in 

 most roots without any difficulty with a low power of a cheap micro- 

 scope, as also can the endogenous origin of the root-branches, and 



