One new species {Epicampcs suhpatcns, from New Mexico) 

 is published, and fourteen new combinations are formally made. 



The proofreading has been done with the most scrupulous care, 

 in pleasing contrast to the carelessness displayed in some of our 

 recently-issued manuals. The reviewer is inclined to regard 

 Beauvois's correction* of Rafinesque's " Diarina ''f to Diarrhena 

 as valid under any set of rules ; but Rafinesque's lordly indiffer- 

 ence to all matters etymological makes it inadvisable to be dog- 

 matic in regard to the correct spelling. It is doubtless an excess 

 of purism to inquire why Lcpturus is treated as feminine and 

 Pholiurus as masculine (pp. 105, 106). Clurctochloa palmifolium 

 (p. 243) is the only other error in agreement observed. The 

 word " palea " is used throughout instead of the Anglicized " pa- 

 let," thus conforming to " lemma " ; but strict consistency would 

 also require the use of " giuma." 



Cynosuriis cristatus is not "the only species in the United 

 States" (p. 68), as C. echinatus L. is becoming well established 

 in Western Oregon. Colconthus is regarded as *' introduced " 

 (P- ^33)^ although it is hard to see on what ground, since it is 

 nowhere an associate of cultivated plants, and has a sufficiently 

 wide distribution in Eurasia to justify the presumption that it is 

 a cosmopolite. Torrcsla macrophylla is not merely " Califor- 

 nian," (p. 201 ) but extends northward at least to the Columbia 

 River. Honialoccnchrus orycoidcs is not limited to the "eastern 

 United States" (p. 206) but is of frequent occurrence in the 

 Wilamette Valley. 



Those who have followed in successive publications the steady 

 evolution of Professor Hitchcock's views on systematic agros- 

 tology, will hope that this admirable contribution may in future 

 find its logical culmination in an e(iually sound and able treatment 

 of all the grass-species represented in the United States, which 

 will be for the entire family what Hackell's exposition of the 

 Andropogoneae has been for that tribe, and will for all time con- 

 firm the author's right to rank as a worthy continuator of the 

 work of Beauvois, Trinius and TTackel. James C. Nelson 



* Ess. Agrost. 142. 1812. 

 t Med. Repos. 5 : 352. 1808. 



