220 Book Notice. 



the south of Scotland. It probably exists in other parts of 

 the Kingdom. There is reason to believe that up to the present 

 the general attack is but slight, but in the spots where the preva- 

 lence of the pest is greatest many thousands of trees have been 

 killed. Nor is it likely that the plague will go no further. 



AND ITS RAVAGES. 



There are evident signs that it has spread in recent years, 

 and it is recorded that in the United States and in Canada it 

 did not stop till 50 to 100 per cent, of the matured larch over 

 vast areas was destroyed, with the loss of many billions of 

 feet of timber. The Board hopes that all who are connected 

 with the care of larch plantations will search for the pest during 

 the summer and autumn of 1910, and immediately communicate 

 the discovery of the presence of any of indications of Sawfiy 

 attack. In order, however, to make any report of value, the 

 following information should be sent ; — 



(i) The name of the wood or plantation with some 

 indication of the place where it is to be found. 



(2) The approximate size of the wood. 



(3) A description of the intensity of the attack according 



to a scale which is given. 



A First Book of Wild Flowers, by M. M. Rankin, with 109 illustrations 



in colour, by Nora Headley. London : A. IMelrose. pp. X. and 180. 

 6/- net. 



This well-got-up book is written for children, and often in quite delight- 

 ful language ; the little folks are asked to make friends with the flowers, 

 to be content to know a few, and go on learning. The authoress says, 

 ' I have gathered some for you, and the artist has painted them.' These 

 number 180, and on the whole are well done and characteristic, while the 

 text is clear and well printed. The book further claims to tell not only 

 something about the names of flowers, but also something of their ways. 

 In the latter, children soon learn to take a keen interest, but on turning over 

 the pages of this book we must confess to a certain disappointment. 

 We find a good deal about the medicinal properties of the plants, and the 

 bitter drinks made from some of them, but we are not convinced that this 

 phase is an attractive one to children. On the other hand we are told very 

 little about ' their ways,' and this is often inaccurate. To give a few 

 examples, we are informed that the lea\es and flowers of the Anenione 

 grow together ; that the barren strawberry bears ' no fruit,' ; that the 

 dandelion and goatsbeard bear ' downy seeds ' ; that the leaves of the 

 wood sorrel ' fold neatly up,' as the ' clover leaves do ' ; the globe ranun- 

 culus ' grows only in the woods.' Some plants like the meadow vetchling 

 are ' very common everywhere,' but ' poppies do not grow everywhere 

 .... but they grow in almost every field in England.' The dwarf red 

 rattle is labelled ' Pedicidaris Sylvatica ' on the plate, and P. palustris in 

 the text. This form of printing scientific names is adopted throughout ; 

 on the plates all specific names begin with a capital, in the text this is not 

 so, but at times capitals are used without obvious reason, and againe^t 

 recognised custom. But for errors such as we have mentioned, the book 

 is quite an attractive one. 



Naturalist, 



