April 20, 1905 J 



NA TURE 



581 



guide, nor a reference to more than one work on 

 German forestry, is requested not to despise it on that 

 account, nor to conclude prematurely that the author 

 has written on a subject he knows nothing about." 



The book is a fairly bulky one, and consists of 

 thirteen chapters and twenty-three illustrations, 

 representing different woodland scenes. The opening 

 chapter gives an interesting historical account of 

 English forests and the origin of forestry. Tlie 

 present conditions, the future prospects and 

 possibilities of e.xtended afforestation are next dealt 

 with. The sylvicultural treatment of the commoner 

 coniferous and .deciduous trees, and the financial 

 results to be derived therefrom, is a chapter which 

 will be read with interest by proprietor and forester 

 alike. Planting and natural regeneration are dealt 

 with in a satisfactory manner. A chapter on the 

 measurement of timber and its selling value contains 

 much information, which will be of the greatest 

 u.se to the English estate forester. The home nursery 

 and forest management receive their due share of 

 attention. The autlior has not forgotten the arbori- 

 cultural aspect of the forester's profession. His 

 chapters on landscape forestry and park and avenue 

 trees are written with much artistic feeling, 

 and contain many valuable suggestions. The more 

 important injurious fungi and animals, including 

 insects, are dealt with in a chapter under the head- 

 ing " Enemies of English Woodlands." It deals 

 with only a few of the outstanding pests which are 

 of practical importance. There is probably no pest 

 about which more has been said or written than the 

 larch canker disease, and we find the author is no 

 exception to the rule. A great many pages are 

 devoted to this disease alone. It consists essentially 

 of a criticism of all the theories that have been 

 advanced regarding the disease since the introducticvn 

 of the larch. Much of what he says is undoubtedly 

 true, but we must confess we find great difficulty in 

 following the author through many of his arguments, 

 especially those which are based upon purely suppo- 

 sitional grounds. 



Regarding the book as a whole, we find a great 

 deal of historical detail in its pages. Past and 

 present methods are criticised without reserve. It 

 will not replace any of the already existing text-books 

 intended for the instruction of the young forester, but 

 as an addition to our existing literature on forestry 

 we may recommend its perusal to those interested in 

 the subject. 



OVR BOOK SHELF. 



Index Kcwciisis Planlarum PJiancrogamarum. 

 Supplementum secundum, nomina et synonyma 

 omnium generum et specierum ab initio anni 

 MDCCCXCVI usque ad finem anni MDCCCC 

 complectens. Ductu et consilio VV. T. Thiselton- 

 Dyer confecerunt herbarii horti regii botanici 

 Kevvensis curatores. Abama-Leucocoryne. Pp. 

 10;,. (Oxford ; ("larendon Press, 1904.) Price 

 1 26-. net. 



WORKERS at the systematic botany of seed-plants, and 

 all who are concerned that plants should have their 

 right names, will welcome the appearance of this latest 

 NO I 85 I, VOT. 71] 



instalment of a well-known work of reference. The 

 original " Index Kewensis," the monumental work 

 owed to Sir Joseph Hooker and Mr. Daydon Jackson, 

 gives the reference for generic and specific names 

 published up to 1S85. For names published during 

 the next ten years we have the first supplement, the 

 work of M. Durand, of Brussels, and Mr. Jackson. 

 This makes but slow progress, and has now reached 

 Ph; the last number appeared at the end of November, 

 1903. Hence, while the present instalment carries us, 

 for the first half of the alphabet, to the end of last 

 century, as regards the last ten letters we are twenty 

 years behind time ! 



As implied in the heading, the supplement in- 

 cludes not only new names, but also synonyms, 

 that is, those names which, in works published 

 in the interval in question, have been transferred 

 to other genera or regarded as identical with 

 names previously published. Thus the eight names 

 under Eriachne represent old species, chiefly of 

 Nees, which more recent workers have transferred 

 to Achneria. The inclusion of synonymy, while un- 

 doubtedly of value, must add considerably to the 

 labour of preparation. Moreover, while in some cases 

 the citation of a name as a synonym is amply 

 justified, it is in others merely the expression 

 of the opinion of one school of botanists, or perha is 

 only of an individual worker, on a matter about which 

 perhaps much may be said on both sides. In cur 

 opinion the great use of the " Index " is that implied 

 in its title ; the working botanist wants a list con- 

 taining every published name, he wants it as soon as 

 possible after publication, and to get an exhaustive 

 and up-to-date index he will sacrifice much in the way 

 of botanical comment, however valuable. Refer him 

 to the place and date of publication, and you will earn 

 his lasting gratitude. He should be able to draw his 

 own conclusions as to the relative value of the names. 



The omission of the date from the references is, 

 we think, matter for regret; it would have involved 

 but very little additional labour at the time ; moreover, 

 it is given in the first supplement, an improvement 

 instituted by Messrs. Durand and Jackson. There are 

 also other omissions which we shall hope to see 

 rectified in an appendix or addendum. A. B. R. 



Birds I have Known. By Arthur H. Beavan. Pp. 



256. (London : T. Fisher Unwin, 1905.) Price 55. 

 This little book records the author's " experience of 

 birds during many years in many lands and on many 

 seas ... its sole purpose being to bring to its 

 readers' notice the ways and habits of these beautiful 

 creatures of the Almighty." 



With such a preface, and after the author's assur- 

 ance that he prefers the unquestioning belief of his 

 little son in the Bible story of Creation to the Dar- 

 winian theory of evolution, we are a little taken 

 aback at the author's treatment of the Creator's 

 handiwork. 



" I have always loved the birds," he protests. 

 Unfortunate birds ! His earliest manifestation of this 

 love was, on his own confession, to endeavour to 

 catch them with the proverbial pinch of salt ! Age 

 brought wisdom, however, and with the judgment of 

 mature years a piece of pork concealing <-l fish-hook 

 was found more efficacious ! 



In other places he naively describes the patience 

 he displayed in waylaying with a gun such rare birds 

 as he happened to discover. Descanting upon the 

 glories of Cornwall as a happy hunting-ground, he 

 gives a list of the rarities that may turn up here 

 during gales, enumerating such species as the golden 

 oriole, Bohemian waxwing, hoopoe, and spoonbill — 

 just those, in short, which the true bird-lover is most 

 anxious to protect. The chance of killing such. 



