

1901] CURRENT LITERATURE 137 
first two installments when death put an end to his labors. In 1894 
Flahault conceived the idea of making an ecological map of France,” espe- 
cially with regard to the forests and agricultural areas. In 1897 the first 
sheet, corresponding in a way to the topographic sheets of our national geo- 
logical survey, was published.’ The maps are made on the scale of 1: 200,000, 
and each plant association is represented by a given color. Flahault has 
adopted twenty-two conventional color tones, which also in a general way 
show the topographic relief, lowlands having light and highlands dark 
colors. Contour lines are used as on ordinary topographic sheets. Smith 
studied with Flahault at Montpellier and then turned his enthusiastic atten- 
tion to his native country. 
In 1899 Robert Smith published an interesting paper on the study of 
plant associations,“ in which was given a historical summary of plant society 
studies from Humboldt down to Warming and Flahault, together with sug- 
gestions for use in field work. The two sheets which the author published 
give evidence of the most careful work, and cause us to regret that we shall 
not soon see any more. The Edinburgh sheet deals largely with lowlands 
and hence with cultivated areas. The littoral vegetation consists of marsh, 
dune, and rock plants, all of which the author regards as halophytic. The 
dominating forest trees are oaks on the plains and hills, pines and birches on 
the mountains, and alders in the swamps, though but little natural forest 
remains. In the higher areas are many dry, medium, and wet heath asso- 
ciations. The North Perthshire sheet has to do with a mountainous district. 
he maps are finely executed in colors that show strong contrasts. In 
America no comprehensive work like that of Smith or Flahault has yet been 
done, though the excellent mapping of our forest reserves under Gannett’s 
supervision, published in the nineteenth and twentieth annual reports of the 
director of the United States Geological survey, does a similar grade of work 
for the forests. Professor Geddes*® has given a very appreciative sketch of 
Robert Smith, which shows how his loss was felt at home.—H. C. CowLes. 
THE CURIOUS PARASITIC Balanophoracee have always excited interest, 
but especially so since the appearance of the papers of Treub (1898) and 
Lotsy (1899) describing the strange ovulate organ and apogamous embryo of 
species of Balanophora. Our knowledge of the group has now been extended 
by a paper just published by Dr. Lotsy,** in which he describes a species of 
**SMITH, ROBERT: Botanical Survey of Scotland. I. Edi vie District. I 
North Perthshire District. Scot. Geog. Mag. 16: 385-416, 441-467. I 
* Bull. Soc. Bot. France 41: 56-94. 1894. "3 Annales de agit 1897. 
4 Nat. Sci. 14: 109-120. 1899. Scot. Geog. Mag. 16: 597-599. 1900. 
* Lorsy, J. P.: Rhopalocnemis phailoides Jungh., a morphological-systematical 
study. Ann. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg II. 2: 73-101. pls. 3-74. 1900 
