356 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [APRIL 
will be welcomed on its merits both by botanists and by the general public. 
It consists of an introduction of an elementary character discussing the general 
problems of tree growth and illustrating some of the technical terms employed, 
a key for the determination of species on the basis of leaf and bud characters, 
supplemented by additional keys for the chief genera, and illustrated descrip- 
tions of over 100 species found in New England. This list includes not only all 
that are native to the region, but in addition the species that are commonly 
grown for ornamental purposes, thus extending the usefulness of the volume to 
the study of the trees of city parks and of areas far beyond the limits designated 
in the title of the volume. 
One page is devoted to the description of each tree, while facing the descrip- 
tion is a plate illustrating the species in winter condition. These plates contain 
reproductions of photographs of the general habit, the trunk, showing bark 
characters, the twig with buds and leaf scars, and the fruit. They are so 
uniformly excellent in quality that they must be regarded as the best collection 
of illustrations of the sort that have yet appeared. By their aid almost all 
common trees may be recognized readily by the ordinary reader. The descrip- 
tive text is wonderfully complete when its brevity is considered. Synonyms 
of both popular and scientific names are given, followed by separate paragraphs 
on the habit, bark, twigs, leaf scars, buds, fruit, wood, distribution, and com- 
parisons with other species. Such an arrangement of material makes the 
manual well adapted for ready reference. As a manual it should be a valuable 
addition to those already available for college classes, but it is likely to prove 
even more valuable to teachers in public and high schools who are attempting 
to lead pupils to become familiar with our native trees. In addition to its 
present form, its authors indicate their intention of So it as a book, 
thus making it more widely available —Gro. D. FULLE 
British liverworts.—In the prefatory note to a little volume on liver- 
worts? the authors say that the book is intended to be a companion volume to 
their essay on British mosses. It is sincerely hoped that it will always remain 
on the shelf with that volume, and not fall into the hands of isolated students 
who are trying to get accurate information about liverworts. A few quotations 
will show what the authors know about the group as well as botany in general. 
“The liverworts present to one’s mind the idea of a crowd of organisms which 
have not made up their minds in which line they shall go, and are trying experi- 
ments in all directions to see what is best for them to take.”’ The following 
statement. will be interesting to morphologists and physiologists: ‘‘A marke 
peculiarity of the thallus [of Anthoceros] is found in the manner in which the 
coloring matter is disposed. In some cells the chlorophyll may be seen 
gathered round the cell walls, either forming a continuous line or as separate 
9 Fry, Epwarp and Acnes, The liverworts, British and cae pp. viii+74- 
figs. 49. London: Witherby & Co. tort. 
