454 Forestry Quarterly. 



A Naturalist in Western China. By E. H. Wilson. London, 

 England. 1913. 2 volumes, pp. 251-229. 



The writer of these two volumes has made four separate ex- 

 peditions, covering nearly 11 years since 1899, into western China, 

 for the purpose of collecting botanical specimens and plant in- 

 troductions. The first two explorations were in the interest of 

 the well-known house of Veitch, and the last two for the Arnold 

 Arboretum. 



An introduction by Professor Charles S. Sargent, of 37 pages, 

 contrasts the forest flora of eastern continental Asia with that 

 of eastern North America. According to this, in general, the 

 American trees are larger and more valuable than the related 

 Chinese species ; while the shrubby members are less showy. 

 The 129 natural families represented in the two regions are dis- 

 cussed in detail, and a very interesting comparison made as to 

 representatives of each in the two areas. Reference may be 

 made to the Coni ferae, which is represented in China, by 14, and 

 in eastern North America by 9, genera. China lacks the Tax- 

 odium and Chamaecyparis of eastern North America, while the 

 genera Libocedrus, Cupressus, Cunninghamia, Pseudolarix, Kete- 

 leeria, and Eokienia have no eastern American representative. In 

 eastern North America 15 species of Pinus occur as contrasted 

 with 8 in eastern Asia. In Picea and Abies, however, the advan- 

 tage lies with China, with 20 and 9 species respectively, as against 

 3 and 2. The numerical representation in the remaining genera is 

 approximately equal. Summing up, of the 129 families, 92 fami- 

 lies are common to the two regions; 12 occur in eastern North 

 America, not in eastern Asia ; and 25 occur in eastern Asia not 

 in eastern North America. Owing to the greater variety of topo- 

 graphy the forest flora of China is richer in genera than that of 

 eastern North America. Of the 692 woody genera in the two 

 regions, 155 are common to both; 158 are found in eastern North 

 America and not in eastern Asia, and 379 occur in eastern Asia 

 and not in eastern North America. Of the tropical genera, y6 

 have reached Southern Florida, and 89 southeastern China. It is 

 concluded that the number of species of trees and shrubs is proba- 

 bly nearly equal in the two regions. 



The first volume is largely an account of the various journeys, 



