l8 9 1 -] Current Literature. 271 



tano and the other from New Jersey, resembling the Kephir grains 

 described by Kern. Mr. Mix has examined them thoroughly, both in 

 their structure and effects on milk, and has come to the conclusion 

 that they are the same as the Kephir grains of the Caucasus. The 

 paper closes with a discussion of the theories of this Kephir fermen- 

 tation. 



Minor Notices. 



Dr. V. F. Brotherus and Th. S^elan have published an enumera- 

 tion of the mosses of the Kola peninsula of Lapland 1 together with 

 a discussion of their distribution. The Kola peninsula lies between 

 the White Sea and the Arctic Ocean, and is almost wholly north of 

 the Arctic Circle. The enumeration of 309 species belonging to 72 

 genera indicates, therefore, a very rich moss-flora. The nomenclature 

 follows Lindberg. 



The Chicago ACADEMY of Sciences has been rather lethargic, but 

 we are reminded of its existence by the recent publication of No. i of 

 the Second Volume of its Bulletin. This is a " Flora of Cook Co., 

 Ills., and a part of Lake Co., Ind.," by William K. Higley and Charles 

 S. Raddin, and makes a pamphlet of 168 pages. 



The list itself is preceded by a tribute to Henry Homes Babcock, 

 who, twenty years ago, was Chicago's most indefatigable and zealous 

 botanist, and the director of her ephemeral botanic garden. An ac- 

 count of the geology of Cook Co., and items regarding the forest 

 trees, disappearance of species, localities of interest and statistics 

 from the catalogue find a place in the introduction. The list includes 

 x 336 species and varieties, of which 187 are introduced and the re- 

 mainder native. The names used are those of Gray's Manual (6th ed.), 

 with a few exceptions, though the authors " cannot entirely indorse 

 the nomenclature." It is a pity that they did not use it throughout, 

 since their use of it would not imply indorsement. 



The invaluable " Host Index to the Fungi of the United States," by 

 Dr. W. G. Farlow and A. B. Seymour is now completed by the publi- 

 cation of part III. (Cambridge, June, 1891). The present part con- 

 tains the Endogens, Conifere, Cryptogams and Animals ; followed by 

 copious addenda, corrigenda and a full index. The 219 pages of the 

 complete work represent an enormous amount of painstaking labor. 

 We hope that the authors will have their reward in a large sale of the 

 work. They may certainly take what reward there is in the conscious- 

 ness of having done their fellow workers a most important s ervice. 



Musci Lapponi* Kolaensis. Extract from Acta S^c. pro Fauna et Flora 

 Fennica, VI. Svo. pp. 100, with map. Helsingfors, 1890. 



