1907] CURRENT LITERATURE 421 
In general the treatment of the physiological topics seems to us to lack balance. 
For example: twenty-four pages are devoted to climbing and twining plants, 
about as much as is given to tropisms in general and to the special phenomena of 
geotropism and phototropism, while all the others have a scant two pages; trans- 
piration is given nine pages, but growth is dismissed in six; the enzymes are 
treated in sixteen pages, while photosynthesis with all its mechanism, energetics, 
and chemistry has scarcely eighteen, and proteid synthesis is allowed less than 
our. Further, the logical arrangement does not commend itself to us. Is 
there any sound reason for the curious distribution of topics already noted, or for 
treating the responses of ‘‘carnivorous plants” independently, and for combining 
with them the consideration of mycorhizal plants? If there is, the author has 
not made it evident in the text. 
The section on reproduction (167 pp.) brings together in unusual form the 
usual data suggested by the title, each topic including illustrations from the whole 
plant kingdom. The presentation may be indicated by the principal topics, 
which are as follows: multiplication by division; multiplication by budding; 
multiplication by spores and zoospores; origin of spores in the Archesporeae and 
sporophyte of bryophytes; amphimixis, gametes, and gametangia; sporogenesis 
in the pteridophytes and spermaphytes; origin and development of megaspores; 
fecundation in spermaphytes; chromatic reduction; sexuality; secondary sexual 
characters; flowers of angiosperms; floral polymorphism; parthenogenesis; 
effects of lecdsiiemoris seeds; fruits; dissemination; germination. Some of the 
terminology used is revolutionary. For instance, in groups above thallophytes 
the mother cells are ‘‘tetrasporangia,”’ the structure bearing sporangia is an 
“archidium” (the nucellus being a ‘‘megarchidium”), etc. 
The last section deals with phylogeny, one of the chapters discussing variation 
and heredity, the other presenting the various theories of the origin of species. 
e k seems not to offer the logical and balanced presentation that is 
essential to elementary students and therefore not to be well adapted to those 
for whom it is designed. At the same time, in its general facts and theories, as 
well as in the clear recognition of our ignorance in many fields, it is reliable, and 
its clear style makes it attractive—J. M. C. and C. R. B 
Lorsy? has undertaken a gigantic task in preparing and publishing his lec- 
tures on the phylogeny of plants for the use of students of taxonomy. The first 
volume, devoted to the algae and fungi, makes a work of over 800 pages, illus- 
trated by half-tones of 430 charts, each containing one to thirty figures; and he 
plans two other volumes covering in like manner the “archegoniates” and the 
spermaphytes. When one remembers that he has in hand the completion of his 
voluminous treatment of the theories of descent (Vorlesungen iiber Deszendenz- 
theorien) and the editorial oversight of the Botanisches Centralblatt, in itself no 
2 Lotsy, J. P., Vortrage tiber botanische Stammesgeschichte, oun an der 
Bac locasivesitdt zu Leiden. Ein Lehrbuch der Pflanzensystematik. Erster Band: 
Algen und Pilze. Imp. 8vo. pp. iv+ 828. figs. 430. Jena: Gustav ue 1907. M2o. 
