1897 | CURRENT LITERATURE 127 
Idaho. There was certainly need for such a manual, and Mr. Howell is 
very familiar with the plants of the region. Very modestly he describes the 
work as a compilation, which manuals almost of necessity are. There is no 
escape from this compilation when such an extensive range of plants is to be 
included, even though it results in perpetuating countless errors. Mr. 
Howell’s experience, however, has enabled him to inject a large amount of 
personal observation into the work, and, what is best of all, field observa- 
tion. He takes a somewhat radical position in reference to varieties, 
observing “that if a plant is sufficiently distinct from others to deserve a 
name it is better to have it described as a distinct species than as a variety 
of some other species."’ Accordingly, nearly all of the published varieties of 
the region have been raised to specific rank, The book cannot help but be 
a very useful addition to our local floras, and certainly of great service to 
those in the northwest who are interested in their native plants.—J. M. C 
A THIRD FASCICLE of the enumeration of the flora of Costa Rica has 
appeared." A second enumeration of the lichens is made by Dr. J. Miiller, 
containing 281 species, 60 of which are new. A second paper on the 
mosses, by Renauld and Cardot, contains 62 species, 25 of which are new, 
Pirea and Leucodoniopsis (both Pleurocarpe) being new genera. These 
two papers appeared in Aul/. Soc. Roy. de Bot. de Belg. 31 :—. 1893. In the 
same journal, 35 :—-. 1896, the remaining papers of the third fascicle appeared 
as follows: “Fungi,’’ by Bommer and Rousseau, containing 85 species, 16 
of them new; “ Filices,” by Bommer and Christ, introduced by a general 
discussion of the pteridophyte flora and containing 251 species, 21 of which 
are new; “Lycopodiacee,”’ by Christ, containing 12 species; “ Selaginel- 
lace,” by Christ, with 16 species; “ Begoniacee,” by C. DeCandolle, with 
22 species, 5 of which are new; “Convolvulacee,” by Hallier, with 23 
Species ; and a second fascicle of “Composite,” by Klatt, with 105 species, 
13 of which are new. —J. M. C 
A TWELFTH Contribution to the Life Histories of Plants** has been pub- 
lished by Mr. Thomas Meehan. The subjects are sixteen in number, and 
really represent a fascicle of short papers written long ago. They consist of 
brief observations which are made the basis of speculative discussions. The 
subjects are as follows: “Fecundity of Heliophytum Indicum,” © Origin of 
the forms of flowers,” “Spines in the citrus family,” “Flowers and flow- 
ering of Lamium purpureum,” “Cleistogamy in Umbellifere,” ‘‘ Rhythmic 
growth in plants,” “Pellucid dots of Hypericum,” “Honey glands of flow- 
ers,” “Varying phyllotaxis in the elm,” “Special features in a study of 
*DuRAND, TH. and Pirtier, H.—Primitiz Flore Costaricensis. Troisitme 
fascicule. Pp. 297. fea tess a botanique de l’Etat. 
** Proc. Philad. Acad. —: 169-203. 1897. 
