NOTICES OF BOOKS AND ME WO IRS. 59 



We must endeavour, although very briefly, to give some idea 

 of the contents of this admirable work. The first part describes 

 the general aspect and external parts of the plants. The second 

 part describes the fructification, and treats at considerable length 

 of the antheridia, sphrerospores, and capsular fruit and cystocarp ; 

 also of the so-called " double-fructification. 1 ' In this part the 

 author discusses the statements promulgated by MM. Bornet 



and Thuret relative to the fertilisation of the Morideae, and, after 

 minute examination of the species which formed the subject of 

 their investigations, and of a great many other species, British and 

 foreign, at all periods of growth, he states that his own researches 

 do not confirm the views of the French akoloirists. Those 



botanists who take an interest in the study of British marine Alga> 

 will find in Professor Agardh's new work much that will interest 

 them as to the structure and fructification of several hitherto 

 imperfectly-known plants found on these coasts. 



The second work mentioned at the head of this notice appeared 

 m the < Transactions of the University of Lund.' It is a list by 

 Prof. Agardh, of the marine AlgaTof New Zealand, collected 

 principally by Dr. Berggren, and is supplemental to that of 

 B. Hooker and Harvey, whose nomenclature is followed, 

 except in cases where a change of name has been rendered 

 necessary by further and more accurate examination. Some new 

 species are described, and to others notes are appended. This list 

 will be found a valuable contribution to the knowledge of the Algffi 

 of New Zealand. Mary P. Merrifield. 



AwidecE McLrimilicnw. By Dr. Peyritsch. Carl Gerold's Son. 

 Vienna. Large folio, coloured plates. November, 1879. 



Ihis book is a similar production to Schott's * Icones 

 Aroidearum,' with which, by reason of its size and the beauty 

 and excellence of the plates, it forms a companion volume. The 

 purpose of the work is to describe and figure the Aroids introduced 

 into cultivation from Brazil, under the auspices of the Archduke 

 Maximilian, afterwards the Emperor of Mexico. It was originally 

 commenced by Dr. Schott, by whom all the descriptions but one 

 were made, and under whose supervision most of the plates were 

 prepared. After his death the work changed authors no less 

 P lan five times, passing through the hands of Dr. Wawra, 

 ^r. Ivotschy, M. Beissek, Dr. Fenzl, and finally to Dr. Peyritsch, 



y whom it has been completed. Although some of the 

 descriptions have been slightly modified by the subsequent 

 authors, yet they remain substantially the same as Schott left 

 e m. It is printed in large, clear type, on good stout paper ; 

 the descriptions are in Latin, but the habitats and the explanations 

 the plates are given in German: this appears to be the one 

 ostect of the work. The species described in it amount to thirty - 



ight m number; some of them, perhaps, might better be regarded 

 n pieties than species ; out of the thirty-eight species described 



Li ■ 1 if ^ laU ^ rt y uro % ure< l- The plates, drawn by W. 

 O poldt, are forty-two in number, and are really magnificent, 



