254 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MARCH 
ENGLER and PRANTL’s Die natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien, beginning, therefore, 
with slime molds and ending with thistles; and with each plant there is given 
the recorded facts as to its injurious effects, and also such medicinal qualities 
as seem important. 
- The volume is a great compendium of well-organized information in 
reference to a subject that has been attracting a good deal of attention recently 
at national and state agricultural experiment stations in connection with 
plants injurious to live stock, but of course its scope extends far beyond that 
special interest. The author is to be congratulated upon the completion of a 
work that must have involved an unusual amount of patient toil and organizing 
power.—J. M. C 
Subantarctic New Zealand 
The Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, New Zealand, has published in 
cooperation with the government a most admirable work on the geology, 
botany, and zoology of the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand.’ In the 
introduction there is given by the editor, Dr. CHILTON, an interesting account 
of the scientific investigation of these islands; this part contains a number of 
excellent photographic reproductions of characteristic landscapes. There are 
six papers dealing with the botany of the islands, one of which is by PETRIE on 
the grasses (pp. 472-481), one by Larne on the marine algae (pp. 493-527), 
and one by various collaborators, giving a list of the fungi and bryophytes. 
Three botanical papers are of somewhat wider interest and may be noticed 
briefly. CHEESEMAN gives a somewhat detailed account of the systematic 
botany (pp. 389-471). This paper includes a historical account of the botanical 
exploration of the islands, an annotated list of the vascular plants, a tabular 
view of their distribution in the individual islands and elsewhere in the world, 
and an interesting concluding part on the affinities of the flora. The flora 
consists largely of a New Zealand element, representing probably recent 
immigrations; there is also an interesting Fuegian element, as well as an 
endemic element. The idea of recent and extensive land connections is not 
favored. 
COCKAYNE gives in his usual satisfactory style an account of the ecological 
botany of the islands. The leading physiognomic plants are briefly treated, 
after which the ecological factors are considered, wind being regarded as the 
most important single factor. Then follows an account of the special ecology 
of the plants. The body of the paper presents the plant formations, which 
_ are more numerous than one might expect to be the case. On the Snares one 
of the most important formations is the Olearia Lyallii scrubby forest. On 
the Auckland Islands occurs the rata forest, dominated by Metrosideros lucida, 
and known through previous papers by CocKAYNE; this formation tapers off 
‘CHILTON, CHARLES, with various collaborators, The Subantarctic Islands of 
New Zealand. - 848. 1 map. pls. 25. numerous figs. Wellington, N.Z.: Philo- 
sophical Institute of Canterbury. 1910, 
