242 THE SCOTTISH BOTANICAL REVIEW 



on from the tiny gametophyte to the non-sexual and long-lived 

 sporophyte, and finally segregated in the spores, and again passed 

 along to the next generation of gametophytes, is^ to say the least, 

 improbable." Here indeed lies the secret of the whole matter. 



We miss any reference to sphagnales in the discussion of the 

 origin of the lower plants. The term prothallus is neglected, and 

 pollen spore is used for pollen grain. Owing to subdivision of the 

 matter there is an unavoidable amount of repetition. Generally 

 speaking, there is an absence of Americanisms, but we notice mold, 

 meter, center, color, gray for grey, skepticism, fiber, canyon, favorite, 

 meager, behavior, armor. The diaeresis is used in re-established 

 pre-eminently, zoospore. Sperms is substituted for spermatozoa. 

 A few typographical errors occur: ax (p. 290), especialy (p. 229), 

 futher (p. 335), unequaled (p. 147). The terms horsetail and clubmoss 

 in reference to Palaeozoic types are used literally ; " forbears " is 

 used for " ancestors " in reference to plants. 



Each section leads up to the next admirably. The use of common 

 types to illustrate facts, e.g. cross pollination in the nasturtium and 

 scarlet geranium, is an excellent feature. The personal element is 

 not entirely lacking. Visits to South Africa, where sunbirds were 

 studied, and Krakatau, in 1906, are related. 



We believe that this book if, as it is hoped, it is read widely in 

 this country, will do much to stimulate inquiry upon new and right 

 lines, and can thoroughly recommend its adoption as a standard 

 text-book on plant life and problems of evolution. 



British Plant Galls. By E. W. Swanton. Methuen & Co., 

 London. 8vo, cloth, pp. 251, sixteen coloured and sixteen 

 photographs, with numerous blocks in the text. 'js. 6d. net. 



This book should supply a long-felt want. Up to the present time 

 we have had only one good work dealing with British galls, and that 

 was mainly a translation by C. R. Straton of Dr. H. Adler's German 

 work " tJber den Generationswechsel der Eichengallen," and was 

 limited to the galls occurring on the oak. E. T. Connold subse- 

 quently published some fine photographs of our British galls, but 

 the accompanying text was of Httle assistance. The present work 

 condenses into a readily accessible form a mass of information on 

 this subject which for the most part is hidden away in various 

 systematic works and scattered papers published by numerous 

 scientific societies. Mr Swanton in his opening pages deals in a 

 lucid manner with the origin of our British plant galls, and devotes 

 a separate chapter to those that are caused by the Hymenoptera, 

 Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Homoptera, Acari, Nematoda, 

 Fungi, and Mycetozoa. In the detailed catalogue of British plant 

 galls which succeeds the opening chapters the galls are arranged in 

 botanical sequence on their hosts in accordance with the classifica- 

 tion adopted by Engler in " Die Naturalichen Pflanzenfamilien," and 



