Botany and Zoology. 153 



presiiinptuous for us to offer any criticism.* It appears to offer the stu- 

 dent just the information he needs, and in an authentic and interesting 

 form. The same n^ay doubtless be said of the Acrogens, wliich are moro 

 briefly treated, its three alUances, Characeales^ Muscates^ and Filicales 

 together occupying only about 130 pages. The book belongs to Bail- 

 here's series of Standard Scientific Works^ and will doubtless maintain 

 a distinguished place, undergoing successive revisals as new editions are 

 called for. a,- a. 



i 2. Witteriing und Wachsthum^ oder Griindzi'ige der PfianzcnJclimai' 



ologie (i. e. Weather and Groivih^ or Elements of Climatology as affecting 

 Plants) ; by H. Hoffmann, M.D., etc., Professor of Botany in Giessen, 

 Leipsic: 1857. pp. 583, 8vo. — Tlie first or special part contains: 1. 

 An abstract of very detailed meteorological observations made at Giessen 



through the year 1854, embracing all the ordinary elements of climate; 

 2. Observations on growth, being a very detailed and elaborate study of 

 the development of the buds, leaves, stems, flo>vers, &c. of thirteen com- 

 mon and well-chosen plants, under the given circumstances of climate. 

 This is illustrated by a large folded plate, exhibiting in curves (printed in 

 colors) the daily development of these thirteen plants, or of their leaves, 

 stems, blossoms, <kc. The second or general part occupies the rest of the 

 volume, and considers in great detail the effect of the principal meteoro- 

 logical conditions upon the growth of plants. What the principal con- 

 clusions are, it is not easy to say, for want of a summary, which the au- 

 thor could readily have given : they are with difficulty to be eliminated 

 by the reader from above four hundred pages of printed matter* The 

 work is elaborate and painstaking to a fault; the author's patience in re- 

 cording observations and measurements are worthy of all praise, and de- 

 serve to be rewarded by more important discoveries than he seems to 

 have made, so far as we can judge from a cursory glance over the volume. 



A. Ot. 



3. Revisio Poteniillarum Iconibus Illustrala; auctorc C. Lehmank, 

 4to, 1856.— More than thirty yeai-s have passed since Dr. Lehmann pub- 

 lished l)is Monograph of Potentilla. From time to time ever since, he 



* A valued correspondent suggests the propriety of adding a glossary, of techni- 

 cal terms peculiar to the Cryptognmia, and a conspectus or catologue of the genera 

 under each order or alliance. He also notes a few errors in the localities, Ac., of 

 certain American Fungi referred to. Thus, " Trkhamphora (p. S35) is said to be 

 from South Carolina; whereas it came from Pennsylvania. Triphagmium derjlnhejiii 

 (p. 325) is given from Texas; but has as yet been found only in New Mexico. 

 Peridcrmium is said (pp. 316, 317) to occur on Ephedra in Soutli Carolina, instead 

 of in Texas. Trypethdium (p. 387) is denied a residence in South America, yet we 

 know that the author has Carolina !>pecimen3 from thence in his herbarium, and he ac- 

 knowledges as much on p, 394, and figures its fruit on p. 393. Ravenelia is reported 

 {pp. 305, 316) to be found ou Dcmiodhim, but is thus far known only upon species 

 of Tephrosia. Mr. Berkeley has figured two species of Fungi to which he applies 

 the original horbarium names, forgetting that they have since been published under 

 others. Hdminthosporium Jloffmanni {p. 208) is //. Eavcnelii, Curt., in this Journal 

 and in Ravenel's Fungi Carolinumi. Sartvellia foveotata (p. 318) is Dasyspora fove- 

 data, Berk, and Curt., in Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci., Philad. ; the original name having 

 been changed in consequence of Dr. Sartwcll being already honored with a genus 

 of higher dignity.— These are minor blemishes, easy to be corrected in another edi- 

 tion, and not detracting from the essential value and great interest of the work." 



SECOND SERIES, VOL. XXIV, NO. 70. — JULY, 1857. 



20 



