6i4 



NA TURE 



[October 25, 1894 



In chapter ii., under the heading of Tissues, the 

 author describes the connection of the cells, intercellular 

 spaces, the various forms of tissue, including "sieve 

 tissue," glandular tissue, parenchymatous, strengthening, 

 and tracheal tissue. The general morphology of the 

 tissue system deals with the apical growth of plants, and 

 the morphology of the stele. The researches of Van 

 Tieghem are here included. The variations from the 

 primitive monostelic structure of the stem are polystelic 

 and schizostelic. The latter term, which corresponds to 

 Van Tieghem's old term " astelic," is, in our opinion, a 

 great improvement. 



The fundamental tissue system or ground tissue is 

 divided into extra-stelar and intra-stelar. In monostelic 

 stems the limits of the extra-stelar tissue are the 

 endodermis and the layer of cells immediately below the 

 epidermis. In polystelic stems the extra-stelar tissue 

 includes all the fundamental tissue outside the steles. 

 The intra-stelar or conjunctive tissue includes the 

 pericycle and pith. 



A very good description is given of the secondary extra- 

 stelar tissue. In the description of cork formation, the 

 classification of \'an Tieghem is adopted as regards the 

 place of origin of the phellogen. We should like to have 

 seen in this section some account of the conditions which, 

 probably, determine the formation of special kinds of 

 periderm. The chapter concludes with a short account 

 of the formation of tissue in consequence of injury. 



In the third part the classification of the vegetable 

 kingdom into four groups, Thaliophyta, Rryophyta, 

 Pteridophyta, and Phanerogamia, is described. While 

 recognising the general usefulness of such a division, 

 we think it would have been better to separate the 

 Bacteria and Cyanophyce;c to form another group — 

 which has already been done by some writers — the 

 Protophyta. The characteristics of the Bacteria are 

 peculiar to themselves, and are such as to warrant 

 their separation from the Fungi ; and the same may be 

 said of the Cyanophycea^, and their connection with the 

 Algae. 



The author adheres to the classification of the Alga: 

 into four sub-classes : Cyanophycea;, Chlorophycea;, 

 Phaiophycea;, and Rhodophycex. An excellent intro- 

 ductory account is given of the whole class, followed by 

 a special description of each sub-class and its principal 

 orders and families. The Chlorophyceit is divided into 

 five series : Protococcoidea;, V'olvocoideae, Siphonoidex, 

 Confervoideje, and Charoidex.a classification with which 

 we cordially agree. It has been customary to place the 

 Charoidex between the Alga; and Bryophyta as a sepa- 

 rate group, but we think their inclusion as a sub-group 

 of the green Alg.c is, in spite of the differences which 

 exist between them, more in accordance with their 

 structure. 



A short but excellent description is given of the I'h.xo- 

 phyceje. The author includes the unicellular forms, 

 Syngeneticae and Diatomacex, in this group. This may 

 be convenient, but few botanists will, we think, regard it 

 as natural. A short general account of the red seaweeds, 

 with a list of the orders and chief genera, concludes this 

 portion of the book. 



The next group dealt with is that of the Fungi. A 

 general account is first of all given of the structure and 



NO. 1304, VOL. 50] 



methods of reproduction. The asexual formation of 

 spores is of general occurrence. In accordance with the 

 author's terminology, these are distinguished as gonida 

 and spores, according as they are borne on the gameto- 

 phyte or sporophyte. The ordinary mycelium of mucor, 

 for example, is the gametophyte ; on this are produced 

 gonidangia and gonidia. On the other hand, the zygo- 

 spores of some mucors produce a proniycelium ; this is 

 regarded as the sporophyte, and its asexual reproductive 

 organs are therefore sporangia and spores. Again in the 

 Peronosporacese, " in those species in which the oospore 

 gives rise to a proniycelium, the proniycelium is the 

 sporophyte ; in those in which the oospore gives rise to 

 zoospores, the oospore itself represents the sporophyte, 

 and finally, in those in which the oospore at once gives 

 rise to a sexual plant, the sporophyte is altogether 

 unrepresented." The ordinary mycelium is here also the 

 gametophyte. 



The book concludes with an account of the vascular 

 Cryptogams. The classification adopted by the author is 

 more in accordance with the known facts of morphology, 

 and is a distinct advance in the right direction. One of 

 the most striking changes is the complete separation of 

 the Isoctacea; from the Selaginellacea;, and its inclusion 

 among the Eusporangiate Filicinex. A useful table is 

 given on p. 380, showing the relations of the various 

 groups of the Pteridophyta. 



In connection with the Lycopodiacex, Treub's im- 

 portant observations on the embryogeny of the sporo- 

 phyte and the structure and development of the 

 gametophyte are incorporated. This is the first time 

 these important researches have been described in an 

 English text-book. 



In conclusion, English students have cause to be 

 grateful to Prof. Vines for this excellent text-book, which 

 puts before them so clearly and definitely the main facts 

 and conclusions connected with the science of botany j 

 and we look forward with great interest to the appear- 

 ance of the second half of the book, which has been 

 promised for the current year. 



The second book before us is, the author tells us in 

 his preface, designed for the use of students who have 

 passed through an elementary course of botany. It is a 

 compilation from several English works and Le Maout 

 et Uecaisne's " Trailc (jencTal de Botanique," and the 

 author has been at some pains to select from them such 

 portions as will be most useful to beginners. In this he 

 has been fairly successful, and has placed his facts before 

 the reader in a commendably simple form. 



The author is not without hope that the book may be 

 used for private study, but we could not recommend 

 it for this purpose. It would be perfectly useleiS 

 to place such a book in the hands of a private 

 student, unless he were better acquainted with the ele- 

 ments of botany than the majority of students in ele- 

 mentary classes. 



A little more than one-third of the book deals with 

 Cryptogams, the remainder of the volume being devoted 

 to a description of the structure and classification of the 

 Phanerogams. We can heartily commend the author's 

 lucid description of some of the types he selects to 

 illustrate the various groups. On the other hand, many 

 of the types are described by him in such a way as to 



