428 Reviews. — Western Farmer ^ Gard. Almanac. 



portion of Mr. Tuckerman's article on the lichenes of New 

 England. It is the best synopsis of the species that has yet 

 appeared in this country, and of great value to the student of 

 this interesting branch of botany. One hundred and twenty - 

 seven species, aud four permanent varieties, have been enu- 

 merated, and their stations given, of which fifty were not pre- 

 viously included in the United States' flora. This makes 

 about two thirds of what the author has collected and receiv- 

 ed, and exclusive of the common species, which have not 

 been mentioned in his list. 



The uses of the lichenes are many and important, both to 

 man and to the animal creation. The reindeer moss is stored 

 for cattle, in the north of Europe. The Iceland moss (Ce- 

 traria isiandica) is universally known: it is used in the form 

 of flour, of which even bread is made; it is also an excellent 

 dye stuff. The cudbear of commerce, of which whole car- 

 goes are imported into Britain, is the Lecanora tartarica; and 

 numerous kinds are very valuable as dye stuffs. The whole 

 article is interesting to the general reader as well as the bot- 

 anist. 



Art. II. is an attempt to ascertain some of the hepatic 

 mosses of ]Massachusetts, by our correspondent, J. L. Rus- 

 sell. Fifteen species are enumerated. The other articles 

 are upon the fishes of Ohio, and the shells of Massachusetts. 



The Society possesses a valuable library, and its museum 

 of curiosities, open to the public every Wednesday, is well 

 worth a visit from all who are interested in natural history. 



Art. III. The Western Farmer and Gardener^s Almanac 

 for 1842. By Thomas Affleck. 1 vol. 12mo., 96 

 pages. Cincinnati: 1841. 



A VERY good little work for the farmer, containing, in addi- 

 tion to the usual astronomic calculations, a great deal of valua- 

 ble matter to the farmer. The article on hogs, alone, is worth 

 the price of the volume. We would recommend it to the 

 notice of our friends. 



