458 SOME NEW BOOKS [DECEMBER 
in an interesting itinerary the plants that came under observation. The wealth 
of mosses and lichens is noticed, and at Dawson city the prevalence of the 
Ericaceae and the scarcity of Compositae—features common to sub-alpine and 
sub-arctic situations. 
A paper by L. H. Pammel, ‘‘Some Ecological Notes on the Muscatine 
Flora,” is a study in hydrophytes, mesophytes, and xerophytes found in certain 
zones. A continued paper by Mrs. C. A. Creevey, “Plant Juices and their 
Commercial Values,” gives a popular account of methods of extracting 
juices from plants in various parts of the world, and the physiological effects 
following the drinking of these juices. 
In Nature Notes for November, Mr. A. E. Martin discusses editors and 
annotators of Gilbert White’s “‘Selborne,” Mr. F. Coleman discourses on birds 
and insects as meteorologists, Messrs. C. B. and C. T. Plowright describe 
Broadland in winter-time, and the Rev. George Henslow gives, for the benefit of 
young botanists, a beautifully clear statement of the evolutionist view of the 
origin of species. Naturally, he does not refrain from giving his own inter- 
pretation of the factors—the power to vary is called into action by new 
conditions, and the organs change in conformity or adaptation to these. 
The Westminster Review for November, which we have received, is full of 
interesting matter, but the only article directly touching biological questions is 
a continued criticism of the Contagious Diseases Acts. 
In the American Journal of Science, No. 44, vol. viii. August 1899, one 
paper is of interest to the biologist, namely, ‘‘Studies in the Cyperaceae,” 
by Theo. Holm, and “On the abnormal development of some specimens of 
Carex stipata, Muhl., caused by Livia vernalis, Fitch” (with seven figures 
in the text drawn from nature by the author). 
The diseased condition in question shows itself in the hypertrophied leaves, 
which become white, except at the tips, while they are flat from base to apex, 
and are devoid of the usual sheath. The larvae of the parasite were located on 
the upper surface of the leaves, and although the parasitism was purely 
superticial from its beginning to end, yet it resulted in the almost complete 
non-development of stomata, chlorophyll, lignin, and the partial non-absorption 
of silica. What sort of insect Livia vernalis is may be found in works on 
entomology—at least one would expect so,—for no light is thrown upon it in 
the article. Can any one suggest what advantage the author finds in using : 
mestome-bundle for fibro-vascular bundle, mestome-sheath for bundle-sheath, 
bark-parenchyma for cortex-parenchyma, perihadromatic bundle for—what ? 
pericambium for pericycle, protohadrome for protoxylem, leptome for phloem ? 
There is no need of bundle after mestome, which is equivalent to the whole 
term, fibro-vascular bundle. In roots one speaks of cortex-parenchyma, not 
bark-parenchyma. It is years since pericambium was given up for the better 
term, pericycle, because the form was apt to be confused with cambium. 
We have just received from Dr. L. Bordas, Chef des Travaux Zoologiques in 
the Faculty of Science at Nancy, a paper from the fifth volume of the Annales 
du Museé d@ Histoire Naturelle de Marseille, in which he shows, as we had 
previously occasion to note in “Fresh Facts,” that the respiratory trees of 
Holothuroids have four functions—respiratory, hydrostatic, plastidogenetic, and 
excretory. 
We have received the first part of Volume IIT. of the 7vansactions and Pro- 
ceedings of the Perthshire Society of Natural Science, which contains the 
following papers :—“ List of the Rhynchota of Perthshire,” by T. M. M‘Gregor 
and G. W. Kirkaldy; “The Flora of Durdie and Arnbathie,” by James 
Menzies ; ‘‘The Feathered Tenants of our Dwellings,” by Lieut.-Col. W. H. M. 
Duthie ; “‘On the Protection of Wild Birds in Perthshire,” by Col. Campbell ; 
