CURRENT LITERATURE. 
The natural history of plants. 
When we recently welcomed the announcement that Kerner’s 
Pflanzenleben was to be translated into English and published by A. 
& C. Black, we did not even hope that an edition would be prepared 
for this country. The issue of such an edition by Messrs. Henry Holt 
& Co. is therefore a most agreeable surprise. The first volume, in 
two parts, dealing with forms and growth, is now before us, and the 
second volume is in press 
Professor Oliver has done English speaking botanists a favor in 
translating this work. But he has done more, for it is hardly neces- 
Sary to say to botanists that the appearance of Kerner’s work in Eng- 
lish will do much towards bringing modern botany before the intelli- 
gent public. We need more of this kind of teaching that will bring 
those not professionally interested in botany to some realization of 
its scope and great interest. The fascinating style of the author, and 
his freedom from pedantry in the use of terms, have been admirably 
retained by the translator. In fact, nothing in the style reveals that 
the book is a translation, which can so said of very few of the scientific 
books that have come to us from Germany. 
This lucidity, and the excellent iTaeaateines not only will introduce 
the non-botanical reader to the science of botany, but should serve as 
a lesson to the professional botanist in the art of presentation. Asa 
source of material and illustration for lectures no book has been the 
equal of Kerner’s Pflanzenleben; and its usefulness will be multiplied 
many fold now that students and amateurs can be referred to it. 
The general subjects treated are: the living principle in plants; 
absorption of nutriment; conduction of food; formation of organic 
matter from the absorbed inorganic food; metabolism and transport 
of materials; eich and construction of plants; plant-forms as com- 
pleted Sfructine 
It will b that physi 1 
and the latter is far too much oe et these ati of agi BPO 
and physiology. But the subjects listed do not do justice to the inter- 
* KERNER, ANTON, von MariLaun. The natural history of plants, their forms, 
growth, reproduction, and distribution. Translated from the German by F. W. 
Oliver, with the assistance of Marian Busk and Mary F. Ewart. A OT 
. Large a JP. 777, figs. 188, colored plates 8. New York: Henry 
Holt & Co. 1895. $7. 
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