THE BOTANY OF ICELAND 341 
characteristic espedo of different localities such as hedgerows, 
woodland, s, grass-land, water and marsh, sea-coast, moor- 
land and aks fe. re = excellent introduction to the study of 
this phase of the 
a A. B. R 
The Botany of Iceland. Edited by L. K. Rosenvines and 2. 
Warmina. Part i. 2. Anaccount of the physical geography 
of Iceland, with “te reference to the ore t life by Tx. 
THORODDSEN. Copenhagen. (London: John aldo on & 
Co.) 1914. Pp. 191-343. With 34 figs. in text. 
Tue first portion of this volume (pp. 1-190) was published 
1912, and eps itself with the Marine Algal vegetation fe 
Journ. Bot. 1893, p. 68). It is difficult to un nderstand such a 
sequence of mon ographs ; one would have expected the present 
to have formed the first portion of the survey when arranged on 
completion. The scheme is for young systematists to write mono- 
graphs on the various phases of plant life, though the present 
ustr many lea, 
photographs. The first chapter is concerned with general topo- 
graphy and geology. The features of Iceland are vividly described 
—a continuous tableland with an average height of 700-1000 
metres above sea-level, more than two-thirds of the country being 
of such a nature that almost no vegetation can thrive there. The 
conditions pertaining to surface and soil are next considered ; the 
island is built up of basalt, tuffs and breccias, but basalt is the 
fo : é 
a y 
This preliminary account is admirable; the  desoription - the 
flora is illuminated by extracts from the old sagas and by histori- 
cal facts = ti as by aad in the economy of the island relating 
to man o other animals. “Generally speaking, it may be 
said that ‘the same ea of vegetation prevails selon the = 
island; taken as a whole, there is no great difference betwee 
north and south, high and low”’—though the ‘itigokibion of the 
plant- -formations neporaay varies somewhat. The monograph is 
crammed with facts, and serves as an excellent ne aeatir, to 
the a of the vegetation of eee in all its phases. 
J. RaMsportom, 
