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SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



the authorities to print a second and enlarged 

 edition of this useful work. By its aid a large 

 interest should be created in the study of the 

 plant-life of that magnificent botanical region of 

 Australasia. His system in the pages before 

 us is good, and one likely to encourage botany 

 rather than frighten the public with technicalities. 

 The author explains step by step as he goes along, 

 and quotes familiar local plants to illustrate his 

 remarks. Thus he passes through structure to 

 general classification, and even gives a chapter of 

 useful notes on growing native plants, as well as 

 on horticulture generally. The main part of the 

 book is devoted to an exceptionally full glossary of 

 botanic terms, and those relating to the functions 

 of the various organs of plants. Some of these 

 explanations are lengthy and all are generally 

 admirable. This glossary occupies no less than 

 sixty pages. 



Nature-Chat. By Edward A. Martin, F.G.S. 

 141 pp. Svo. (London : R. E. Taylor and Son, 

 1S97). Price is. 



This is No. 1 of the Rambler's Library ; though 

 we do not quite see the connection between this 

 little work and the title of the Library. Its 

 contents are a number of short paragraphs on all 

 sorts of items, from " An Unfortunate Porpoise " 

 to "Philatelic Rats" — they are chatty notes on 

 various natural history subjects. In his preface 

 the author says he has collected many of them 

 from letters which he has written from time to 

 time to friends. To the lover of "tits-bits" 

 literature there is plenty of variety in this book. 

 It is just the sort of work one would place by one's 

 bedside for the final read before sleeping. Many 

 of the paragraphs are interestingly written, whilst 

 almost all are suggestive of some train of thought 

 or familiar event. Why, however, does Mr. Martin 

 adopt the newspaper affectation of writing his 

 scientific nomenclature without capital letters ? 

 This applies to both family and generic names, 

 though frequently his specific names are so 

 adorned ; as, for instance, on page 67, where he 

 gives the scientific name of dyer's rocket as reseda 

 Lutenla, so setting at defiance the now generally 

 adopted rule of the British Association Committee 

 on Nomenclature, using a capital letter for the 

 generic and a small letter for the specific name, 

 whatever its origin. In this book Mr. Martin is 

 quite free in his treatment of capitals, as they 

 appear in different pages in all ways. We can 

 recommend " Nature-Chat " as amusing for a 

 railway journey or other interrupted reading. 



Rambles Round London, By " Alf. Holliday." 

 65 pp , illustrated. (London : R. E. Taylor and 

 Son, 1S97.) Price 6d. 



Messrs. Taylor's Rambles Series has been noticed 

 in other volumes of Science-Gossip ; this is No. 

 16 of the series. It forms the second part dealing 

 with the Northern Heights, and comprises walks 

 around Windsor, Ruislip, Colnbrook, Uxbridge, 

 Slough, Taplow, Burnham Beeches, and other 

 rural towns and villages. As itineraries these little 

 books are very useful ; they also'occasionally 

 indicate points of interest by the way. 



The Tourist Guide to the Continent, issued by the 

 Great Eastern Railway Company, will be found 

 entertaining to persons travelling by that route. 

 The edition for this season has several additions. 

 Its price is sixpence. We cannot satisfactorily 

 notice the copy before us, as it consists of a 

 number of pages in duplicate and otherwise. 



British Hepaticae', New List. — At the sugges- 

 tion of the Moss Exchange Club, the Rev. C. H. 

 Waddell, B.D., of Saintfield, co. Down, has 

 prepared an exchange list of the British Hepaticae. 

 It appears as an eight-page octavo pamphlet. 

 The arrangement followed is, with slight exception, 

 the classification of the late Dr. Richard Spruce. 

 The list contains many additions to the British list 

 of Hepaticae since 1881, whiph was the date of the 

 second edition of the London catalogue. Perhaps 

 this new catalogue may err slightly on the side of 

 fulness in the number of species inserted as British, 

 but in the present state of knowledge of the liver- 

 worts this may be a fault on the right side. This list 

 includes fifty-nine genera and 220 species. Where 

 there are synonyms they are printed in italics ; 

 and on looking through, the students of this group 

 of cryptogamic botany are to be congratulated on 

 the comparatively small number of duplicate 

 names. The study of liverworts appears to be 

 finding greater attention than formerly, and it 

 should receive an impetus now that the workers 

 therein have two such useful and modern aids as 

 Dr. M. C. Cook's handbook and Mr. Waddell's 

 check list. This list may be obtained direct from 

 Mr. Waddell or from Messrs. W. Wesley and Son, 

 Essex Street, London ; its price is sixpence. 



Sandhills at Flushing. — A week or two ago I 

 stayed for a few days at Flushing. The coast of 

 the island of Walcheren, in which it is situated, 

 is guarded by high sand dunes. There is an 

 abundance of the beautiful blue grass called lyme- 

 grass (Elymus arenaria). I do not know whether 

 this occurs here naturally or artificially, as it is 

 much planted on dykes on account of its long, 

 creeping, underground stems, which, binding the 

 sand together, serve to prevent the encroach- 

 ments of the sea on the one hand, and of the sand 

 itself on the land on the other. The leaves of this 

 grass are of great length and some breadth, and 

 look very beautiful in the sunshine. The sand was 

 also in many places carpeted with the handsome 

 rose-coloured flower of the sea-bindweed (Convol- 

 vulus soldanella). Another very frequent plant was 

 the lesser meadow-rue (Thalictrum minus, var. 

 maritinum). Small shrubs of the sea-buckthorn 

 (Hippophae rhamnoides) were dotted here and there, 

 but they were all devoid of spines. Another 

 feature was the narrow-leaved hawkweed [Hieracium 

 umbcllatum), while of course almost all the ordinary 

 sea-side plants, such as Eryngium, Euphorbia, 

 Crambe, Glaux, etc., put in an appearance. Of 

 insects, the rock-eyed under-wing, or grayling 

 butterfly, was particularly abundant, and in a 

 short walk I noticed half-a-dozen specimens of 

 the swallow-tail butterfly, which apparently had 

 rather a curious flight, the wings being only 

 partially expanded. I wish some of your readers 

 would let me know whether this insect approaches 

 our shores so nearly in other parts of the Con- 

 tinent, and, if so, why it is so seldom found on 

 our coasts. — S. Arthur Seivell, Maplcstcad, Buchhurst 

 Hill, Essex. 



