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1897 | CURRENT LITERATURE 381 
imbedding processes, the use of the microtome and the care of knives. This 
expands the introduction from 11 to 66 pages. 
Another improvement consists in placing at the head of each chapter a 
list of the materials needed for the task which follows. Besides this indica- 
tion of the contents of each chapter there is in the table of contents a full 
analysis of it so that anything is readily found. Besides this, in the volumi- 
nous indexes, upon which unusual care is bestowed, every point is completely 
covered. These indexes extend to 109 pages. The only improvement that 
could be made would be to combine them into one. A single index is more 
readily used than six. An exception should be made of the second, which 
is not really an index, but gives a list of plants used, arranged according to 
the time at which they should be collected. 
The number of figures has been increased from 193 to 221; but the num- 
ber of plants treated has been decreased in order to make room for the intro- 
duction of new technique without unduly increasing the size of the book. At 
first sight this seems to have been done, but the number of pages is only 
greater by 66 than in the second edition. The apparent increase is chiefly 
due to thicker paper. 
The third edition is fitted by the many important changes in text, as well 
as these more superficial ones, to maintain the reputation which its predeces- 
sors have won, and students are under a new debt of gratitude to this inde- 
fatigable author, who takes time to put at the disposal of both beginners and 
investigators his great experience and encyclopedic knowledge.—C. R. B. 
Index to Saccardo’s Sylloge. 
The eleven thick royal octavo volumes containing descriptions of all fungi 
known before 1895 form a monumental work; and to the author, Professor 
P. A. Saccardo of Padua, I taly, all mycologists are under the greatest obliga- 
tion. The publication of the work began in 1882 and was brought to a — 
cessful close in 1895, the several volumes succeeding one another at surpris- 
ingly short intervals, considering the vast amount of labor involved. The 
author is now increasing the value of the work for ready reference by ss 
a comprehensive index,* forming the twelfth and final volume. It gives all 
the genera ina single alphabetical list, with species, varieties, etc., under each 
genus, and also the hosts and the geographical distribution. The general 
arrangement and the typographical execution are excellent. A better index 
could not well be devised. The first part now issued extends as far as 
| Puccinia Pyrola, showing that it probably includes fully half the volume. It 
*Saccarpo, P. A.— Sylloge fungorum omnium huiusque cognitorum. Vol. ee 
Index universalis et locupletissimus generum, specierum, subspecierum, varietatum 
hospitumque in toto opere expositorum. Pars 1. Roy. 8vo. pp. 640. Berolini, Fratres — 
oo 1896. 40 francs. 
