lO 



to the Lake of Lucerne and the high region around Andermatt, 

 the other the valley of the Rhone north and east of its great bend 

 at Martigny. 



The first monograph, after describing the geography, geology, 

 soils, and climate of Uri, proceeds to a dicussion of the forests, 

 including their prehistoric or normal altitudinal limits, the 

 present tree-line, the nine forest types (mostly coniferous), and 

 the agricultural and industrial practices which are affecting the 

 forests today. This is followed by a similar discussion of the 

 pastures and meadows and of the comparatively limited areas of 

 arable land. 



The second monograph is more strictly botanical in nature. 

 Nearly two hundred pages are used to describe the environ- 

 ment and the floristics of the region. The vegetation is then 

 classified into groups based on the form or habits of the compo- 

 nent species, the three chief divisions being the floating vegeta- 

 tion or plankton, the adnate vegetation of algae, mosses, and 

 lichens, and the rooting vegetation. The latter is in turn divided 

 essentially in accordance with Raunkiaer's well known principles 

 into hydrophytia, helophytia, geophytia (including annuals and 

 cultivated plants), hemicryptophytia (meadows and other 

 herbaceous associations), chamaephytia (heaths), and phanero- 

 phytia (forests and shrub-associations). The monograph closes 

 with about twenty pages discussing successional relations. 



Both monographs are effectively illustrated and accompanied 

 by maps of the vegetation on a scale of i to 50,000. These are 

 superposed on the regular Swiss topographic maps, showing 

 towns, roads, and contours, and so become a Baedeker for any 

 botanical tourist in these parts of Switzerland. 



H. A. Gleason. 



Drewitt's Latin Names of Common Plants* 



In the preface the author explains that the object of the book 

 is "to get at a reasonable pronunciation of the Latin names of 

 some familiar flowers and, when possible, their interesting deriva- 

 tions and history. " After a short introduction giving the rules of 

 Latin pronunciation, there are notes on the "name-givers," — 



* F. Dawtry Drewitt. Latin Names of Common Plants, their Pronunci- 

 ation and History. 68 pages. H. K. & G. Witherby, London, 1927. 



