30 AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL 
though, like a starving man given food too late, it did 
not long survive.! 
Mrs. Elizabeth Wuist Brown recommends the use of 
nutrient solutions in growing fern prothallia for class 
use. She finds these solutions both time and trouble 
Savers as compared with soil, peat and other media. 
Knop’s and Prantl’s, especially the latter, are the best. 
Formulae for various solutions and detailed directions 
for sowing the spores and caring for the cultures are 
given.? 
Dr. Carl Skottsberg, assisted by Mrs. Skottsberg, 
has, in recent years, made extensive collections in the 
islands of Juan Fernandez (familiar to most of us as the 
reputed scene of the adventures of Robinson Crusoe 
and his man Friday) and in Easter Island. There has 
now been published under his editorship a work on the 
natural history of these regions. In the portions deal- 
ing with the pteridophytes Mr. Christensen has colla- 
borated with him and this part of the work has been 
reprinted in pamphlet form. 
The treatment is in the form of a copiously annotated 
list, giving full Synonymy, descriptions where needed, 
localities on the islands, range elsewhere and critical 
notes. Line drawings by Mr. Christensen further 
elucidate the less known or more critical species and 
there are five beautiful photogravure plates of ferns 
un situ. 
From the Juan Fernandez group 49 species of true 
ferns and two. Lycopodiums are recorded. Of these 
four are described as new and nine are recorded from the 
islands for the first time. As might be expected in an 
ancient insular flora, the number of endemic species— 
: Andrews, E. F. Habits and habitats of the North American resurrec- 
tion fern. Torreya 20: 91-96, . Sept.—Oct., 1920. 
*Brown, Elizabeth Dorothy Wuist, The value of nutrient solutions as 
_ culture media for fern prothallia. Torreya 20: 76-83, figs. 1, 2. July- 
August, 1920, j 
