464 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [DECEMBER 
In fact, the revision everywhere shows evidences of haste, and as the author 
signs his preface April 1905, just before he sailed for Europe on his way to South 
Africa, it seems likely that he was working under pressure that prevented—most 
unfortunately, indeed—that ‘‘careful revision” of which he speaks. 
Spite of defects that, by a little more care, the author could easily have avoided, 
we welcome the new edition and commend it to every botanist as a necessary 
reference work, even though he have the first—C. R. B. and C. J. C 
MINOR NOTICES. 
IN AN ELEGANT work on the Bahama Islands,7 published by the Geographical 
Society of Baltimore, there is an interesting ecological presentation of the vegeta- 
tion by W. C. Coker, the result of an expedition undertaken in the summer of 
1903. The discussion of the plant formations follows accounts of previous 
botanical work in the Bahamas, the composition and relationships of the flora, 
and the economic plants. On New Providence Island the author found.a sand 
strand formation made up of the following associations successively inward: 
Ipomoea pescaprae with Paspalum and Sporobolus, Uniola and Tournefortia, 
Pithecolobium and Salmea, Erithalia and Reynosia, and the silver palm. There 
are wet and dry pine barrens, the former with an undergrowth of Inodes pal- 
metto, the latter with a Coccothrinax. Other formations are those of the salt 
marsh, the fresh marsh, the coppice, and the rocky shore. On Watlings Island 
Suriana, Chrysobalanus, and Lantana are prominent on the sand strand, and 
there are mangrove formations with Conocarpus. The paper closes with a list 
of the plants collected. There are plates of typical formations, and of some 
economic plants, and there is a colored plate of Bougainvillea—H. C. CowLes. 
A POPULAR account of all the pteridophytes except the homosporous Filicales, 
with special attention to ranges, habitat, time of fruiting, manner of growth, 
folk lore, etc., is given by CLUTE in a new book entitled The fern allies of North 
America® The field notes, which show an intimate acquaintance with the life 
histories of the various forms, will interest the botanist as well as the layman. 
The seven keys, by which the genera and species may be identified are as untech- 
nical as an efficient key can be made. Necessary technical terms are defined 
in a glossary. Both common names and scientific names are given. No attempt 
is made to treat internal anatomy or morphology. 
The illustrations, more than 150 in number, are by InA MARTIN CLUTE. 
Details which are of taxonomic importance have been drawn with particular 
accuracy, so that many of the species might be identified by the illustrations 
alone.—CHARLES J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
7 Coxer, W. C., Vegetation of the Bahama Islands. The Bahama Islands. 
pp- 185-270. New York. 1905. 
8 Crure, W. N., The fern allies of North America north of Mexico. 8vo. pp. Xiv+ 
278. New York: Frederick A. Stokes. 1905. $2.00 net. 
