Ne 
1887. | BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 21 
insists that the peat-mosses (Sphagna) do not show either constant species 
or typical forms, the intermediate forms being of equal value with the 
so-called typical forms. Instead of the present so called species, he would 
therefore establish “form-series” (Formenreihen), which should be dis- 
tinguished by the most easily recognizable characteristics. Since these 
distinctions between form-series would be at best et tara he thinks 
they should be settled by a committee of sphagnologis 
The bulk of the paper is made up of the pn and arrange- 
ment of such form-series as seem to him best characterized. Almost an 
under Sphagnum acutifolium Ehrh, (in part !) are placed twelve varieties and 
thirty-seven forms! Now as a matter of biological research this is all very 
well, and it certainly shows exhaustive study on the part of the author, 
not only in the closet but in the field. But as a practical system of class- 
ification we can not see that it isa marked improvement upon previous 
works. Every systematist surely regards his species as a series of forms 
more Closely related to each other than to those of another form-series. 
But few would hold that these forms are sufficiently fixed or permanent 
to be worth describing, and still fewer will believe that they are definite 
enough to be recognizable by others. And this last is the sole object of 
! 
descriptive botany 
a of Canadian Plants. Part I11.—Apetale. John Macoun, Do- 
nion Botanist. Geol. and Nat. Hist. Survey of Canada. 
his part completes the exogens andthe first volume of this fine cat- 
alogue. The Gymnosperms are in their proper place, and the genus 
Salix (of which there is, of course, a large display of species) shows the 
help of Mr. Bebb, as do all the rest of the Apetali the assistance of Dr. 
Gray and Mr. Watson. A large portion of this part is taken up with 
additions and corrections to former parts, and a complete index places 
this volume in a most compact shape for use. Prof. Macoun is to be con- 
gratulated upon so successful a conclusion, and has the wishes of Amer- 
ican botanists that the second volume may not be long delayed. 
Die Formen der Bakterien und ihre Beziehungen zu den Gattungen und 
Arten. Von Dr. Ferdinand Hueppe. Wiesbaden: C. W. Kreidel. 
1886. 8°. pp. 152. Illustrated. 
It is as essential in bacteriology, as in other departments of natural 
Science, to possess a solid morphological basis in order to y inter- 
pret physiological and biological data. So much study is at present 
devoted to questions of great pathological moment that utilitarian and 
scientific interests alike suffer for want of well established fundamental 
conceptions of the morphology of bacteria. In this work trea ating of 
“forms of bacteria and their relation to genera and species,” the author 
proposes to suppy the need, so far as present information permits. 
he work is dedicated to Drs. Ferdinand Cohn and Anton DeBary, 
