430 Books on Northern Topography. 
the general topographic, edaptic and climatic factors affecting plant 
distribution within the area and then follow chapters on the chief plant 
associations, viz. :—woodland, scrub, grassland, rocks and screes, marsh 
and aquatic, moorland and cultivated land. In each association the 
characteristics of the habitat are fully discussed and representative lists 
of species given. Appendices deal with the relations of the plant communi- 
ties and a summary of the British plant formations and associations ; 
there is also a copious bibliography. The distribution of the chief associa- 
tions is admirably shown on two clear, well-printed maps on the one-inch~- 
to-the-mile scale. There are also small maps showing the subsoils and 
small comparative maps of the plant associations and contours of Cress- 
brook Dale. A number of excellent photographs, mostly by Mr. W. B. 
Crump, illustrate the chief plant societies. In a work of this kind there is 
much room for differences of opinion and as the author rightly points 
out the limits of the associations would be variously interpreted by different 
workers. Perhaps the most debatable line is that separating the heather 
moor from siliceous grassland, where the two merge into each other in a 
very puzzling way. Several points call for criticism, but only a few can 
be dealt with in this notice. Referring to the distribution of the Bilberry 
(p. 188) he says of one writer that he ‘ appears to think that the occurrence 
of the bilberry may perhaps always indicate the site of former forest.’ 
On looking up the reference we find the following to be the original state- 
ment :—‘ can it be that its present distribution represents, to some extent 
at any rate, the position of previous open forest.’ It is difficult to see what 
useful purpose is served by such misrepresentation. On p. 57 he says 
‘that the water content of the so-called meso-pteridetum is higher than 
the so-called xero-pteridetum . . . is not established.’ We believe 
it is not only established, but is easily demonstrated. The implication 
that the bare peaty summit of Black Hill, Holme Moss, is due to natural 
retrogression (p. 191) is hardly borne out by facts. The origin of this 
peculiar and interesting feature is the severe burning which occurred there 
nearly 50 years ago. Has not the name Soldiers’ Lump (p. 190) been 
transferred by the author from Black Hill to the Peak? These, how- 
ever, are small points, and detract little from the work as a whole, which 
will long serve as a model for the study of vegetation. We hope the 
book will meet with such success as will enccurage the publishers to issue 
similar memoirs dealing with other parts of Great Britain. 
The East Riding of Yorkshire. By J. L. Broekbank. Oxford: Claren- 
don Press, 1913, pp. 256: 2s. 6d. net. 
It can be stated without fear of contradiction that there have been 
more books published in recent years, bearing upon the various phases 
of East Yorkshire’s history, than has been the case with any similar 
area in the British Isles. These vary from Mr. Mortimer’s magnificent 
volume on pre-historic remains and numerous books on geology, natural 
history and antiquities, to Morris’s admirable ‘Little Guide.’ In 
. addition, there is the recent Victoria History, as well as many*monographs 
published by the local scientific societies. In view of all this, we look 
to a new book, written by a gentleman of high degree, and published 
by the Oxford University Press, with expectations ; but these are promptly 
doomed to disappointment. If the book is to be a general guide to the 
district for ‘the man in the street’ it is far too scrappy and far too 
inaccurate. If it is intended to be a book for use in schools, it is not at 
all suitably written, much of the information being in a style far above 
the ken of a schoolboy, if not of his teacher, This is probably one result 
of the obvious haste with which the chapters have been thrown together. 
In endeavouring to learn something from the author’s Preface it is 
somewhat unexpected to find that he has gathered his information from 
a second-hand bookshop. We are also told that it is unnecessary to 
give a list of the books consulted, though at the end of his volume he 
gives a list of very unnecessary books, and not a single reference to any 
Naturalist, 
