278 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [octomm 
they may become tendrils, or spines, or glandular organs; or they maybe 
rudiments, looking back to organs of use in another form. 
There is a chapter also on fhe nature of stipules. There are three views 
as to what stipules are: (1) they are appendages of the leaves (Van Tieghem, 
Baillon, Gray); (2) they are autonomous organs, analogous to leaves (Liné 
ley) ; (3) they are an integral part of the leaf. Lubbock holds the third view, 
The first view he regards as untenable because stipules originate indepent- 4 
ently of leaves and often before them; the second because the stipule 
bundles are derived from the foliar bundles. ; 
The book is full of illustrations and very suggestive, though it seems that 
there is too great a certainty as to just what everything is for—HenriG 
CowLeEs. : 
An ecological text-book. 
AMONG THE recent text-books for secondary schools none is so dominateé 
by the new ecological standpoint as the book just issued by Dr. ace uM. 
Coulter. This is one of the series of “Twentieth Century Text-books, ® 
course of publication by Messrs. D. Appleton & Co.’ 
It is the first of a pair of books, each representing work for half 1 
but independent. The second, with the title Plant Structures, is to be issued 
shortly. It is to be dominated by morphology as the first is pips 
ecology. Inthe judgment of Dr. Coulter the order in which he pee 
books is the proper one for presentation in an elementary howe: d 
sequence is likely to meet with the criticism that the student, ignorance 
plant structure and without wide acquaintance with plant groups, |S 
to appreciate ecological phenomena and _ principles. The author De ae 
the advantages which counterbalance the disadvantages are (1) the agile ] 
of a true conception of plants in nature, (2) acquaintance with the puna : 
lems of plant -physiognomy, and (3) the avoidance of the use of the iy 
microscope at the outset. : | 
Though the physiognomy of vegetation is an interesting ys ae 
most important phase of botany, it is doubtful whether at the Pe a 
the subject is well enough organized to justify its dominating grit yeas 
course. It is still more doubtful whether it will be possible fo 
to find teachers capable of presenting it. Granting the ecologica 
be the ideal botanical course, the question is whether We. ce 
away from the floristic or pseudo-taxonomic teaching t0 psig an to he 
reach so remote an ideal. The writer has already committ ghould be first 
view that the simpler morphology and physiological topics: ss pedagne® 
presented in an elementary course and therefore only states WF pie 
’ 3Coutrer, J. M: Plant Relations, a first book of botany. 120 eee 
figs. 206. New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1899. 
