Se as ee 
SS ee 
CURRENT LITERATURE. 
Mosses and ferns. 
Dr. Campbell’s long continued studies upon the ferns and liver- 
worts have prepared him admirably for the preparation of the volume 
on the Archegoniate which has recently been issued.t This is be- 
yond question the most important morphological work yet published 
by an American botanist and the publishers have given it a dress 
worthy of it. 
In this work Professor Campbell brings together a large amount of 
heretofore scattered information regarding these plants, not a little of 
which he has himself contributed. ‘The first 150 pages are devoted to 
the Hepaticze, less than 70 to the Musci, and 300 to the Pteridophyta. 
In this distribution of space the author has done wisely, giving to the 
Polytypic liverworts a fuller discussion than the much less varied 
mosses, a course more necessary as the liverworts are considered by 
Dr. Campbell in all probability the progenitors of both mosses and 
ferns, While this proportion is a perfectly just one, it is also one 
which accords with the author’s predilections and the length corre- 
sponds curiously with the strength of treatment. 
It is impossible to criticise this excellent work in detail. It must 
suffice to Say that the full and lucid account of the structure and de- 
eet of archegoniate plants will be most helpful, not only to 
: ents of these groups, but also to those teachers who, because their 
oon — lie in other lines, need such a compendium as this to 
father ree may turn with confidence. For the book is compendious 
pee an philosophical. The author seems to have avoided of 
prea Tpose any extended theoretical discussions. He has, however, 
oe admirable condensed statements of the affinities of the most 
i age groups outlining divergent views when they exist. (It may 
on p Sapa In passing that by an error, apparently typographical, 
a 513, Bower’s theory is misstated. 
ne of the most Important features of the book is that the author 
€n able by reason of his study of a considerable number of 
; i — to use these in illustration of morphological points. 
sins of Funaria hygrometrica to illustrate the structure of the 
eet te tierefore something of a disappointment, for 
iNet H.—The structure and development of the mosses and ferns 
Millan & Co. gg Pp. viii + 544. figs. 266. New York and London: Mac- 
Ameri 
&—Vol. Xx1._No. 2 (93] 
