GURRENT LITERATURE. 
BOOK REVIEW S. 
Flower ecology. 
AS PREVIOUSLY stated in the pages of this journal (26: 358), the first volume 
of Knuth’s Handbuch der Blitenbiologie’’* gives a general introduction to the 
subject of the pollination of flowers, with the bibliography. 
The second volume gives an account of the investigations which have 
been made upon the European and Arctic floras. The work being profes- 
sedly based upon Hermann Miiller’s “ Befruchtung der Blumen durch Insek- 
ten,’’ even more closely resembles the English translation by Thompson, 
“The Fertilization of Flowers.” The resemblance here extends to the intro- 
duction of the general results of other authors and in the arrangement of the 
families, part 1 including the Ranunculacee to Compositae, and part 2, 
Lobeliaceae to Gnetacee. As an example of the treatment of the particular 
cases we may take that of Malva silvestris. There is a citation of authors, an 
account of the mode of pollination, accompanied by a reproduction of 
Miiller’s figures, and a combined list of visitors observed by Miller and 
the author. Then follows the visitors observed by Alfken, Schletterer, 
Schenck, Loew, Scott-Elliot, and Smith. The lists are often quite fragmen- 
tary, observed in different places, and under varying conditions, so that they 
will hardly form a homogeneous combination, but it is a good thing to have 
them collected together. The fact that the most scattered and inaccessible 
writings are usually the most worthless does not keep anyone from rejoicing 
that he does not have to waste his time hunting forthem. Knuth draws upon 
the writings of pure entomologists. Their writings are very important for 
the insects they especially collect, but, as a rule, they do not notice all of the 
visitors, Their lists are far better than those made out by persons who make 
you wonder if they can tell a hive-bee or bumblebee from an Eristalis. 
The first part contains 697 pages, 210 figures, and asa frontispiece a 
portrait of Herman Miiller. Fora frontispiece the second part contains 2 
portrait of Darwin, surrounded by Severin Axell, Federico Delpino, F. Hilde- 
brand, and Fritz Miller. This part contains another 210 figures. The 
*KnuTH, PauL: Handbuch der Sree hntaiy unter caaeitsanen gaits? 
Ba 
Hermanns Miiller’s Werk “ Die Befruchtun ng der en durch Insekten.’ 
Die bisher in Europa und im arktischen Gebiet Sane ee Beob- 
achtungen. Teil 2: Lobeliacee bis Gnetacez. 8vo. pp- iv-+705. pl. 7. figs. 210 
Leipzig : Wilhelm Engelmann, 1899. J/ 18. 
432 [DECEMBER 
