20 



nating the various diseases are those most commonly used or 

 where these are lacking or ambiguous a name is made by adding 

 the termination "ose" to the generic name of the fungus which 

 causes the disease. The work is thoroughly illustrated, the illus- 

 trations being of such a nature as to be of material aid in the 

 diagnosis of the various diseases. 



The appendix contains a brief discussion of the differences in 

 the physiology of the chlorophyl-bearing and chlorophylless 

 plants with a few of the most striking morphological characters 

 of the bacteria and fungi. This part of the work is very brief. 



One of the points on which the work is to be commended is the 

 fact that the manuscript of the various parts has been submitted 

 to the best specialists in the groups treated for corrections and 

 criticism, thus eliminating many of the errors which might other- 

 wise appear in a work of this kind and ensuring accuracy as to 

 details. The book will doubtless meet the need of a large number 

 of students, especially in our agricultural colleges. 



F. J. Seaver. 



Dr. J. A. Harris (Biometrika, November) presents an exhaus- 

 tive study "On the selective elimination occurring during the 

 development of the fruits of Staphylea." The author, keeping 

 in mind the very different problem of the selective elimination 

 of individuals, has striven to show the morphological and physio- 

 logical value of the selective elimination of certain types of 

 organs produced by individuals. Using statistical methods, now 

 familiar through the work of Francis Galton and Karl Pearson, 

 he recapitulates (in part), after presenting detailed tables of 

 21,000 locules and their ovules, thus: 



"The ovaries with relatively low numbers of ovules are more 

 extensively eliminated than those with high numbers.", "The 

 ovaries which remain after elimination are more radially sym- 

 metrical than those which are eliminated." "Ovaries with one 

 or more locules with an 'odd' number of ovules are more likely 

 to be eliminated than those with all the locules bearing an 'even' 

 number." "Dimerous ovaries seem less likely, and tetramerous 

 ovaries more likely to develop to maturity than the normal 

 trimerous ones." 



