62 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of this important family. Since 1900 many new species 

 have been discovered in Western China, and these for a great 

 part were first described in Plantae Wilsonianae, that astonishing 

 record of the results of one man's intrepid journeys and tireless 

 collecting. From seeds sent home by Wilson there are now 

 flourishing plants in most British collections, as well as at the 

 Arnold Arboretum and other pinetums in Eastern America. 

 Moreover, to the generosity of Professor Sargent in the distribu- 

 tion of seed certain Continental nurserymen owe the numerous 

 species of Wilson's conifers that appear in their catalogues. 



Living plants, many of which have reached the coning stage, 

 are now available for the more certain identification of species, 

 whereas only descriptions from Wilson's dried specimens could 

 be made when Platitae Wihofiiatiae was taken in hand, shortly 

 after his return from his last expedition to Western China in 

 1 9 10. Since then Wilson's work on the Conifers a?id Taxads of 

 Japan (19 16) has elucidated several spruces and silver firs of that 

 region which had been much confused in previous descriptions. 



The list of works consulted by the authors of the present 

 book is evidence that nothing has been omitted to make it as 

 complete as it could be. The authors are to be congratulated 

 on such an exceedingly satisfactory production. The descrip- 

 tions of species not hardy out of doors in our country have been 

 reduced to the smallest compass, whereas those that can be 

 grown in our climate are dealt with very adequately. 



To Miss G. Lister's pencil are due the botanical drawings of 

 no less than 1 20 species, and the accuracy of these is beyond 

 all praise, indeed so perfect are they that it is easy for any one 

 at all familiar with conifers to identify most of the species with- 

 out reading the name below them — not in the writer's experience 

 a common thing with botanical drawings of conifers. The book is 

 further embellished by thirty-one full page plates of trees in their 

 native habitat and in this country. 



The original keys prepared by the authors are as simple and 

 easy to use as any that the writer has seen in previous works. 



It is satisfactory to see that the Vienna rules of nomenclature 

 have not been followed too strictly, and that we still are per- 

 mitted to adhere to names so well established by custom as, for 

 example, Picea nigra, Pseudotsuga Doiiglasii, Tsuga Albertiana, 

 Tsuga Pationiana, Larix leptolepis. The present reviewer would 

 have preferred that Douglas' name of the Monterey Pine, Pinus 



