200 



points which, though readily observable, cannot be said to be the 

 less important. The reviewer may speak only of those matters 

 of which he claims to have some personal knowledge and would 

 cite the instance on pages 493-4 where Lycopodiuin vohibile is 

 said to have but four rows of leaves in common with L. coui- 

 platiatuui. This is an error, but one which is made also in the 

 " Pflanzenfamilien " of Englerand Prantl. So also the statement 

 that in some species the leaves are of two kinds, that is, dimor- 

 phous. As a matter of fact, the leaves on the foliage shoots of 

 L. alpimini are of three kinds, those on the dorsal and ventral 

 surfaces being markedly different from each other and also from 

 the lateral ones. Those among us who chiefly disregard matters 

 lying without the range of microscopic vision would complain 

 rather loudly were similar misapprehension of the structure and 

 variety of, say, archegonia, to obtain, but it is difficult for some 

 minds at least to see that error attaching to the observation of, 

 humanly speaking, large things is any less to be shunned. 



There arc welcome additions to the older book in the form of 

 a discussion of alternations of generations, and a brief but sug- 

 gestive chapter on fossil archegoniates. In the forme* we are 

 glad to notice that there is an indication of a tendency to seek 

 for physiological explanations of the remarkable facts of alterna- 

 tion of generations — this in the last {^"^ paragraphs. 



The book, we may say in closing, is the product of much study 

 and betokens a dashing vigor of mind which attains the large 

 ends in view, and it should continue to be an important stimulus 

 to a better knowledge of the forms which botanists in this country 

 know rather too little about, 



F. I^. I.LOVD. 

 Fitrlow's Bibliographical Index <if North American Fungi* 



The magnitude of the work begun b}' Professor Farlow under 

 the above title is apparent from the fact that this first part, con- 

 sisting of over three hundred pages, covers only the genera an- 

 terior to Hadhamia in the alphabetical sequence. In the inter- 



* Farlow, \V. (J, Bihliograpliical Index of North American Fungi. Vol. I. 

 Pari I. Carnegie Institution of Washington, I'liMicnlion No. 8. 1905. 8vo, 

 i-xxxv -j- 1-312. 



