A Text Book of Botany. 495 
GUIDE TO THE STuDY OF COMMON PLANTS; AN INTRODUCTION TO 
BoTaANyY; BY VOLNEY M. SPAULDING, Boston. D. C. HEATH 
& Co., 1893. 8vo., pp. 246. 
When all the attendant conditions are fully considered, the ques 
tion as to how modern botany may be taught in the best way, is one 
which does not admit of ready solution in such a manner as to meet 
the requirements of even the majority of cases, yet there seems to 
be a fairly general agreement upon one point, and that is laboratory 
work—a living, practical acquaintance with the object to be studi- 
ed—must in the future more completly replace the old text book 
~ methods. 
The little book before us has methods from a recognition of these 
facts, and an attempt on the part of the author to outline what, to 
him, appears to be a desirable method of proceedure for students 
who are pursuing a high school course, or a course preparatory to 
the university or college. 
A chapter of advice to the student contains many hints to the 
student, which are beth opportune and valuable, while upon the 
teacher is impressed the idea that for the proper study of modern 
botany, the subject must be pursued from a practical point of view 
and with plenty of simple laboratory appliances. And here the 
author gives the real way to the discipline of students, whom he 
shows that to get a pupil thoroughly interested in an important 
line of work, where hands, eyes and all the faculties are fully en- 
gaged, is to secure a discipline that can be attained in no other 
way—a result which alone more than compensates for the expense 
“of equipment. 
The subject matter of the book deals with the plant from the 
standpoint of its life history—the idea of development being the 
leading one. The absence of illustrations is to be regretted, but 
notwithstanding this, itis likely to prove a useful manual in the 
hands of a competent teacher. If it accomplishes no other object 
than to give an impetus to the establishment of laboratories for 
elementary biological work in our various schools, it will have done 
well. The fact that it was written in response to inquiries from 
teachers preparing pupils for university examinations is significant. 
DP es 
BovraANICAL LABORATORY, 
McGill University, Oct. 1893. 
A READER IN Botany. PARTII. FLOWER AND FRUIT. SELECTED 
AND ADAPTED FROM WELL KNOWN AUTHORS BY JANE H. 
NEWELL, Boston. Giun & Co., 1893. 8vo., pp. 179. Int. 
The structure of the flower and its many remarkable adaptations 
fo the visitation of insects, and the purposes of cross fertilization, 
is a subject that has always been invested with special interest for 
