£22 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [AUGUSI 
Three popular books. 
POPULAR interest in plants is being cultivated recently by numerous books 
of high artistic merit and variable scientific quality. Several of them have 
been noticed in this journal, and three others now deserve attention, all of 
‘which stand high in their class. To interest the public in making intelligent 
observations is a most commendable purpose, but the temptation to arouse — 
interest by bringing together doubtful facts and legends is very strong, ani 
the effect is sometimes more than doubtful. 
Nature's garden? is the title selected by Neltje Blanchan (a nom é 
Plume, we understand, of Mrs. Doubleday). The book considers flowers from 
the standpoint of pollination by insects, and the best authors seem to have 
been consulted. Over five hundred flowers are represented, and are grouped 
according to color, “because it is believed that the novice, with no knowledge 
of botany whatever, can most readily identify the specimen found afield by 
this method, which has the added advantage of being the simpler one adopted 
by the higher insects ages before books were written.” The classification by 
colors is as follows: blue to purple flowers, magenta to pink ‘flowers, white 
and greenish flowers, yellow and orange flowers, red and indefinites. The 
_ book is on a higher plane than those which merely seek to lead the observ 
to a name, for the name is only an introduction to some real acquaintan® 
The illustrations deserve special commendation, for the half tones from pho 
tographs and the colored photographs made direct from nature are of exch 
tional merit. The former bring out details with that exquisite clearness whic! a 
good photographs can obtain, while the latter represent the best results . 
color photography, which we must confess is frequently uncertain as yet as {0 : 
shades. The book appeals to those interested in beautiful illustration, to them 
desiring a better acquaintance with flowering plants, and to those who a : 
seeking on every hand help in organizing nature study. a 
ALICE LouNSBERRY, the author of 4 guide to the wild flowers, has « : 
lished a companion volume entitled 4 guide to the trees, which well sustails oe 
the reputation of the former. Nearly two hundred trees are represented, i 
among them are all those prominent in northeastern America. There 'S oe 
effort to make determinations easy, by using comparatively few bee / 
terms and by employing the most obvious characters. For example, a 
* BLANCHAN, NeLTjE: Nature’s garden, an aid to knowledge of our ee 
and their insect visitors, with colored plates and many other illustrations phe i 
directly from nature by Henry Troth and A. R. Dugmore. Large 8vo. pp.xvit 4? 
ork: Doubleday, Page & Co. 1900. $3.00. : ee 
3 LOUNSBERRY, ALICE: A guide to the trees, with 64 colored and 164 por fe 
white plates and 55 diagrams by Mrs, Ellis Rowan, with an introduction by De o 
igi 8vo. pp. xx+313. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company ~~ 
2.50. 
