July 25, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



147 



This work must be looked upon to a large 

 ■extent as an introduction to the study of 

 bacteriology. After all, most people who 

 study bacteria are sure to study them for 

 their practical bearing upon various topics, 

 xather than for the scientific relations of the 

 bacteria themselves. In order to understand 

 the relations of bacteria to disease, to agri- 

 culture or any other practical subject it is 

 necessary, first, to have a tolerably good knowl- 

 edge of the bacteria themselves. Such a 

 knowledge is furnished by the work in ques- 

 tion and this book will, therefore, serve as a 

 foundation for the study of bacteria to stu- 

 dents who are interested in the application of 

 these organisms in any direction. No work 

 Taas yet appeared which gives in such a brief 

 «pace an equally clear, concise account of 

 bacteria, their structure, their methods of 

 ■development, their relations to external con- 

 •ditions, their distribution, their physiological 

 relations to environment, etc., as this work by 

 Schmidt and Weis. It is to be hoped that a 

 translation into English may appear. 



H. W. Conn. 



Wesleyan UnU'ERSITY. 



An Analytical Key to some of the Common 

 Flowering Plants of the Rochy Mountain 

 Region. By Aven Nelson, professor in the 

 University of Wyoming. New York, D. 

 Appleton & Co. Pp. 94. 



This little book is intended by the atithor to 

 serve as an introduction to the study of Rocky 

 Mountain plants. About four hundred species 

 are described. It is expressly stated in the 

 preface that the book should not take the place 

 of a manual, and the teacher is warned not 

 to use it for general field work. Plants should 

 be selected for study which are described in the 

 key. If the teacher will keep this warning in 

 mind the work will, without doubt, be found 

 very useful. 



Hitherto it has been quite impossible to use 

 modern nomenclature in school work in this 

 region, because there was no work of refer- 

 ence containing the correct names of even our 

 most common plants. Here is a work which, 

 so far as it goes, is entirely modern. 



It is a familiar fact, which was known even 

 to Aristotle, that parents think most of their 



own children, that poets think most of their 

 own poems. It seems now that botanists think 

 most of their own species of plants. At least 

 there are a good many plants in the key cred- 

 ited to 'Aven Nelson.' This apparent nepo- 

 tism is explained when we examine the work 

 carefully. Many of these favored species are 

 really species quite common, but generally 

 confused with similar species of the eastern 

 states. 



The key to the families in the front of the 

 book seems admirably arranged to show the di- 

 agnostic characters. The plants selected to 

 represent the different families are well se- 

 lected. An important feature of the descrip- 

 tions is the reference to ecological points in 

 connection with the various species and genera. 

 The habits and habitats are given as only one 

 who knows the plants in the field could give 

 them. Professor Nelson's long exiierience in 

 the Eocky Mountain region has given him a 

 mastery of the subject which no one from the 

 eastern states could possibly have. 



It is very much to be desired that in future 

 editions of the work it may be found possible 

 to include a few of the more common species 

 of grasses, since they form such an important 

 part of the earth covering. The reviewer be- 

 lieves that a knowledge of the morphology of 

 the grass flower and fruit is not beyond the 

 grasp of beginners. Species of Agropyron 

 and Stipa, which are abundant in the region, 

 can well be used with such students. 



Francis Eajialey. 



Univeksity of Colorado. 



SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND ARTICLES. 



The Popular Science Monthly for July has 

 for its frontispiece a portrait of Asaph Hall, 

 President of the American Association, which 

 has just met at Pittsburgh. Cloudsley Put- 

 ter presents some ' Studies in the Natural His- 

 tory of the Sacramento Salmon,' giving many 

 details in the life history of the fish, and 

 showing the movements of the young from the 

 time they are hatched until they reach the 

 sea. Under the title 'A Modern Street,' S. 

 F. Peckham describes the methods and mate- 

 rials employed in laying an asphalt pavement. 

 An abstract is given of the 'Views of Dr. 



