1 14 THE NA TURE-STUDY REVIEW [sm-apr., 1909 



be divided with the rival manual by Britton and Brown. The two books 

 are strikingly similar, especially because the new Gray's is so modernized. 

 In fact, one critic has described the new Gray's as essentially "the Harvard 

 edition of Britton and Brown," which means, of course, that it resembles 

 the latter book more than its own previous edition. It is to be hoped that 

 before new editions of either manual appear our botanical friends will 

 have hit upon some stable names for at least a few hundred most common 

 plants. It is disheartening to those of us who are not professional sys- 

 tematise to be forced to remember half-a-dozen synonyms in scientific 

 names of many familiar plants. 



Coulter's Nature-Study in Elementary Botany. This is a ten-page 

 addition to the "Practical Xature-Study" referred to on page 200 of the 

 September 1908 number of this magazine. The entire set of about 70 

 sheets may be obtained from Professor J. G. Coulter, Normal, 111. Price 

 58 cts., postpaid. 



Birds of the World. By Frank H. Knowlton. Edited by Robert 

 Ridgway. New York: Henry Holt. 1009. Pp. 846, 16 pi., 236 ill. 

 S7.00. 



This book will be a valuable reference book for school libraries. While 

 it is mainly a book on classification and descriptions, there are several good 

 introductory chapters including a somewhat technical one on bird anatomy 

 and a very interesting one on the migrations of birds. The main part of 

 the book will be useful for three reasons: First, the division of the fami- 

 lies into groups (each corresponding to a genus or to two or more genera), 

 as in the wren family where the groups discussed are headed cactus 

 wrens, rock wrens, canyon wren, Carolina wren, bewick's wren, house wren, 

 marsh wrens, European wren, etc., gives units that seem familiar to the 

 most "popular" of readers and must greatly increase the range of readers. 

 Second, the family and group descriptions are most readable, and, what is 

 more important, succeed in giving, in very few words, good pictures of the 

 birds and much matter of real interest concerning the habits, food, nests, 

 etc. Third, this book is probably the only book intelligible to the general 

 reader which contains reliable information about (1) the curious birds in 

 our museums, such as the penguin, snakebird and umbrella bird; or (2) 

 the unusual birds to be found in our zoological gardens, such as the flam- 

 ingo, toucan, cassowary, and prairie chicken. It will prove even more 

 valuable in verifying or refuting the marvelous tales of our childhood days, 

 for here we find the albatross, the hornbill, the weaver bird, the harpy 

 eagle, and even early illustrations of the dodo. 



Teachers College, Jban Broadhurst. 



New York City. 



The Boy Geologist. By Edwin J. Houston. Pp. 320. Philadelphia: 

 Henry Altemus Co. A story of the experiences of boys with a taste for 

 geology and chemistry. Readers will unconsciously gain much informa- 

 tion concerning physical science. 



