August 2, 1894] 



NATURE 



317 



The opening sentence of the brief introduction strikes 

 the key-note of the work, with which the two volumes 

 before us are in perfect harmony. " One principal object 

 of this Handbook is to enable observers in Ceylon to 

 ascertain the name of any plant they may find growing 

 wild. When this is arrived at, they are in a position to 

 learn all that may have been written about it in botanical 

 and other literature, to appreciate its relationships to 

 other plants, to trace its distribution in other lands, and 

 to intelligently investigate its properties and uses." The 

 book being intended as a guide to the flora of Ceylon, 

 the descriptions have been made wholly from Ceylon 

 specimens, and the information given under each species 

 is restricted to what affects it as a Ceylon plant. Tech- 

 nicalities have been avoided so far as this could be done 

 consistent with accuracy, and the definitions of orders 

 and genera are only such as are shown by the species 

 found in Ceylon. 



The same restriction is carried out in the references 

 to published books and papers, which are almost entirely 

 limited to those wherein the species is noticed as a 

 Ceylon plant. The Latin name is followed by the ver- 

 nacular names when known, in Cingalese and Tamil. 

 Thwaites's distributed numbers are always quoted, and 

 figures of the species, preference being given to such as 

 are known to have been made from Ceylon specimens, 

 are referred to. After the description, made wherever 

 possible from living specimens, come the general dis- 

 tribution and comparative frequency in Ceylon, and 

 notes as to the times of flowering and colour of the 

 flowers — points which are not always to be found in 

 works of this kind, but which are very useful to the field 

 botanist, especially if he be a beginner. In addition to 

 these matters, information is frequently added on pecu- 

 liarities in structure, or on the properties, products, and 

 uses of the plants, with brief notes on the history and 

 nomenclature of the species. The diagnostic description 

 of each order is followed by keys for the rapid determina- 

 tion of the genera and species. Dr. Trimen has wisely 

 refrained from the startling novelties in nomenclature 

 which are to be met with in various transatlantic local 

 floras, where they are more than usually out of place ; 

 and lays down dogmatically that "no botanical name in 

 the modern taxonomic sense can be of earlier date than 

 l7S3i when Linnaeus first definitely published his 

 binominal nomenclature." 



Our colonial floras are for the most part so largely 

 drawn up from dried specimens by botanists unacquainted 

 with the plants in a living state, that their usefulness in 

 the field must be considerably diminished. Their value 

 for herbarium work is undoubted, a fact of which one is 

 continually reminded by the absence of any enumeration 

 for some countries, and the unfortunate incompleteness of 

 most of those which have been set on foot. New Zealand 

 and Australia are well provided for,although the unflagging 

 zeal of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller and his many 

 helpers has already added so much to our knowledge that 

 the " Flora Australiensis " is by no means up to date. 

 Africa, both South and Tropical, is less fortunate, the 

 " Flora Capensis" remaining where it was at the death 

 of Harvey in 1866, and the " Flora of Tropical Africa," 

 although now once more in progress, having come to a 

 standstill in 1S77. Thanks to the energy of Sir Joseph 

 NO. 1292, VOL. 50] 



Hooker, we are within reasonable distance of the com- 

 pletio n of the "Flora of British India" ; and the useful 

 " Inde X Florae Sinensis," although not a descriptive flora 

 in the sense of those mentioned, is proceeding steadily. 

 But we greatly need floras for the South American con- 

 tinent ; and Mr. Hemsley's handsome Botany of the 

 " Biologia Centrali Americana " can hardly be considered 

 exhaustive for the region of which it treats. To take a 

 much more limited area, we have no compendium for 

 Madagascar, and our knowledge of its wonderful flora 

 has to be gleaned from a large number of scattered 

 papers. 



The existing floras, however, do not contain in any 

 great degree descriptions drawn from living material ; 

 and it is fortunate that the small area to which Dr. 

 Trimen is restricted has enabled him to treat his plants 

 in this rational manner. It is to be regretted that 

 his aims will be to some extent frustrated by the un- 

 necessarily bulky form which his "Handbook" has 

 assumed. The two volumes already issued contain 

 between seven and eight hundred pages, and at least as 

 many more must be occupied by the remainder of the 

 work. The paper employed is much too thick, and by a 

 difterent arrangement of type considerable saving of 

 space might have been effected, without materially de- 

 tracting from the appearance of the volumes. It may 

 well be, however, that when the work is completed. Dr. 

 Trimen will issue an abridgement for use in the field, 

 which would occupy to the present handbook the 

 position which Mr.tHayward's " Botanist's Pocket-book" 

 holds with regard to our larger British manuals. 



A word must be said in praise of the excellent quarto 

 plates which accompany the " Handbook." They are 

 selected from a series of several thousand drawings, 

 begun in 1823, when Mr. Moon was Director of the Gar- 

 dens, and preserved in the library. These are entirely 

 the work of three members of one family. Haramanis 

 de Ahvis, who has just died at a very advanced age, held 

 the post of draughtsman to the Gardens for thirty-eight 

 years, and was succeeded by his sons, one of whom has 

 held the post for twenty-seven years. Most of the 

 drawings here reproduced are his work. 



Ja.mes Britten. 



OUR BOOK SHELF. 



Biskra and the Oases and Desert of the Zibans. By 

 Alfred E. Pease, F.R.G.S. Pp. 112. (London: 

 Edward Stanford, 1S94.) 



Having spent six months in Biskra, Mr. Pease thought 

 it worth while to use the knowledge gained during this 

 period to supplement the comparatively slight informa- 

 tion given in handbooks to the provinces of Oran, 

 Algeria, Constantine, and Tunisia. 



Biskra, Biskra-en-Nokkel, or Biskraaux Palmiers,is a 

 beautiful green oasis, from which visits can be con- 

 veniently made to neighbouring oases in the Sahara. 

 The oasis is about five kilometres in length, and its width 

 ranges from one hundred to seven hundred metres. The 

 town is situated in metres above sea-level in lat. 34" 52' 

 N., and long. 5'42'E. Upon the oasis flourish l6o,ooodate 

 palms, 6000 olive trees, as well as fig, orange, citron, and 

 lemon trees. The people are kindly and unsophisticated, 

 and the climate is delightful during most of the year, 

 being specially suitable for persons sut'fering from pul- 



