436 



NATURE 



[March 9, 1905 



FLORAL MORPHOLOGY. 



Praktikiim fiir morphologisihe imd systematische 

 Botanik. By Dr. Karl Schumann. Pp. viii + 6io. 

 (Jena : Gustav Fischer, 1904.) Price 13 marlcs. 



THE morphology of the flower, although an 

 important item in the curriculum of the advanced 

 student of botany, is not infrequently compressed into 

 a period quite insufficient for obtaining a knowledge 

 of more than a few cohorts or families. But the 

 relegation of this branch of botany to an uncertain 

 stage is easily explained, since, as a course for train- 

 ing students, and this is the first object of a scientific 

 curriculum, floral morphology does not offer the same 

 scope as vegetative anatomy or physiology. Never- 

 theless, the art of discovering all the essential points 

 of a flower is by no means easily acquired, while the 

 ability to distinguish between critical genera and 

 orders requires intuition, based upon experience and 

 practice. 



Dr. Schumann has prepared his book, in the first 

 instance, for botanists who are dependent upon their 

 own unaided efforts, thereby providing for that large 

 class of enthusiasts who can only devote their leisure 

 time to botany ; but he had also in view the much 

 higher object of leading those who use his book on 

 to the plane, if not to the work, of systematists, and 

 the final chapters deal with determination of species 

 and the essentials of floral monographs. 



The book contains two courses, of which the first 

 is the easier, but it includes certain types, such as 

 Phaseolus and Iris, which require some experience to 

 explain thoroughly ; the arrangement is according to 

 the order of flowering. There are approximately 130 

 types of flowers, most of them common varieties, or 

 easily obtainable, and these represent about 80 orders, 

 which are, for the greater part, indigenous to Europe. 

 There is a natural tendency to form a misleading con- 

 ception of the importance of those orders which pre- 

 ponderate in the flora of one's own country, and for 

 this reason it would have been advantageous to include 

 representatives of more exotic orders, but since the 

 aim of the author has been to present specific instances 

 of floral variation and not systematic types, the choice 

 seems to be very suitable. The keynote to the book 

 lies in the author's inspiring enthusiasm for the studv 

 of foliar and floral morphology, and those who use 

 the book will regret that Dr. Schumann did not 

 live to see it completed. To Dr. Max Giirke was 

 entrusted the responsibility of completing the book and 

 of seeing it through the press. The discussion of each 

 type includes general foliar arrangement, branching, 

 inflorescence, floral parts, and methods of pollin- 

 ation, and each chapter has been made self-complete; 

 in addition the author has contrived in a number of 

 cases to derive from the specimen an illustration of 

 some special theoretical point ; thus the examination 

 of the pine and fir cones introduces phyllotaxis, the 

 balsam flower leads to the consideration of empirical 

 diagrams, and the origin of double flowers is discussed 

 in the case of the chrysanthemum. In dealing with 

 questions for which different explanations have been 

 offered. Dr. Schumann has carefully avoided dogmatic 

 NO. 1845, VOL. 71] 



statements, and, as a rule, gives the arguments, but 

 leaves it to the student to form his own conclusions. 

 There are several allusions to the rules of botanical 

 nomenclature adopted in various countries, and the 

 author inclines towards English practice in the matter; 

 but the instances which he quotes, t-.^. Succisa 

 pratensis and Ampelopsis hcderacea, are not the names 

 adopted in the Kew lists for the plants in question. 

 Mention is made of the botanical congress which will 

 be held in Vienna this year, when the subject will be 

 again under discussion. 



It has hitherto been a difficulty to obtain a thoroughlv 

 trustworthy and full presentation on the subject o!' 

 floral morphology except in Eichler's " Blutendia- 

 gramme " — copies of which are few and expensive — 

 so that teachers and students will do well to note this 

 book, since it contains a number of careful analyses 

 of every-day types with a particularly clear account of 

 inflorescences and bracts, and it may therefore be used 

 for reference to confirm or correct the deductions based 

 upon personal examination. The illustrations were 

 drawn by Dr. Schumann's daughter, and these, like 

 the descriptions, may well be taken as models which 

 the student should emulate. 



SCIEXTIFIC ASPECTS OF LAWK TENNIS. 

 Lawn Tenuis. By I. Parmly Parct. Edited by 



Caspar Whitney. .Vmerican Sportsman's Library. 



Pp. xiv + 419. (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 



1904.) Price 8s. 6d. net. 

 Great Lawn Tennis Players: their Mellwds 



illustrated. By George ^^'. Beldam and P. .A. 



^'aile. Pp. xxix + 403. (London : Macmillan and 



Co., Ltd., 1905.) Price \2s. 6d. net. 

 T X the first of the above books we have ;m ex- 

 -•- cellently illustrated and interesting volume 

 dealing with the early history, development, and 

 present condition of lawn tennis, the author having 

 produced a treatise which will be heartily welcomed 

 bv all lovers of this healthy game. 



The author quite rightly deals only with the play 

 of those who have attained a very high order of 

 execution, and are past masters as regards the 

 manipulation of a rapidly moving ball. .\ plan of 

 campaign, quick decision, and still quicker action on 

 the part of the player are necessary for success, and 

 when these are accompanied by accuracy of execu- 

 tion, steadiness, easiness of style, and good condi- 

 tion, greater achievement is attained. Modern lawn 

 tennis is undoubtedly a combination of skill and 

 science of a high order, and the reader will find 

 described in these pages the different ways in which 

 well-known players employ these fundamental 

 desiderata. By an ingenious application of photo- 

 graphy it has been possible to record the start, stroke, 

 and finish of individual strokes on one plate, to 

 illustrate the positions of the body, hand, wrist, and 

 rackit during the movement. Many illustrations of, 

 this kind are given, serving as valuable guides to 

 correct action. Numerous other snapshots of posi- 

 tions of play taken singly or on three plates with 

 brief intervals form a special feature of this volume. 



