67 



method leaves something to be desired in certain cases, where 

 the flowers or fruit illustrate important specific differences, but 

 it must be remembered that the book is prepared for the ama- 

 teur and not the professional botanist. 



The nomenclature " attempted " is that of the International 

 Code. Syinonymy is omitted. Descriptions are carefully 

 drawn from Indiana material. The general distribution of 

 each species is indicated and ranges within the state are dis- 

 cussed in such detail that the book will be an important source 

 of information for phytogeographers. A third paragraph in- 

 cludes general notes, largely of a popular nature, on the 

 abundance, uses, and local names of the plant and other mis- 

 cellaneous information. 



The genus Salix is contributed by C. R. Ball and the family 

 Malaccac by W; W. Eggleston. 



The whole treatment is conservative and impresses one as 

 having been carried out with extreme care and consequently 

 reliable results. The attitude of the author toward " split- 

 ting '' is clearly shown and may be indicated here by two 

 quotations : 



" Nieuwland separates a variety from the smooth forms 

 which he calls Sassafras albida variety glauca and reports it 

 as occurring in the counties in the vicinity of Lake Michigan. 

 The writer has at hand 46 specimens from 41 counties in In- 

 diana, including all of the Lake Michigan Counties, and he 

 has not been able to find a single character that is constant 

 enough to make a division of our forms." 



" While Sargent's key to Tilia quite distinctly separates the 

 species and varieties, yet when specimens are collected from 

 an area where the species overlap and seem to intergrade. the 

 task of referring a specimen to the proper species or variety 

 is not an easy one." 



The same care has been used in excluding 23 reported 

 species, each of which has been the subject of detailed inves- 

 tigation. 



