126 The SCOTTISH botanical review 



"Classification of Plants according to their Mode of Growth" 

 (terrestine plants, epiphytic plants, and the various forms of these) 

 and " Classification of Plants according to their Mode of Nutrition " 

 (green plants, saprophytes, parasites, etc.). This part also contains 

 much information upon the different modes of vegetative reproduction 

 and the storage of food-reserves^ and many illustrations are given in 

 the text. 



Part III. is perhaps of most interest to the general reader as, 

 starting with a discussion of evolution, mutation, etc., it goes on 

 to discuss the origin of the British Flora, and the various well- 

 marked plant associations recognised in this country. This part 

 of the book, consisting of some 97 pages, is particularly well done 

 and eminently readable. The book on the whole is a very good 

 resume of the works of Schimper, Warming, and the British 

 ecologists in a form easy of assimilation, and after having gone 

 through it the student should be able to read the original works of 

 the various authors with intelligence. 



Of course some points which are set forth as facts are open to 

 question, but it must be remembered that in writing a text-book it is 

 necessary to give the reader something definite to hold on to ; if 

 discussions are entered into and side issues noticed, the results as 

 regards the student are apt to be extremely undesirable. 



The book is no doubt capable of being misused if looked upon 

 merely as a cramming medium, and is perhaps more suitable to the 

 teacher than to the scholar ; still we cannot help feeling that it may 

 well do something to mitigate the irritation felt by those who, not 

 being interested in botanical science, yet have to acquire some slight 

 knowledge in order to pass the necessary examinations, and show 

 them that botanical science is something more than a collection of 

 hard names and dry facts. 



