236 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
Key to Tribes and Genera of ernie ty aa and Floridea. By 
Ricuarp A. Bastow. (Reprinted from Journal and Pro- 
ceedings of Royal Society of N. S. Wales, vols. xxxii. & xxxiii. 
(1898-9).) 
An illustrated key to any group of plants is as difficult to form as 
it is easy to criticize when formed, and the keys to ——— mee 
and Fluridee by Mr. Bastow are no exception. Keys in the usua al 
sense these are not, however, being rather a summing-u of the main 
points of orders and genera, represented in the seas surrounding 
Australia and the adjacent islands. 
The first, which deals with Melanospermea, is intense as the 
Sctlaie lai in a short introduction, on the orks of _— rvey, 
Agardh, and Kiitzing. The unfin ished « peaes > has caused a 
eareful and of rr: fruitless search through the braiias of ‘dads 
olonies for the contin k whic nly reached one 
e It seems a pity that such a careful worker as Mr stow 
0) to waste his time hunting for a book which does not 
this should have been taken into account in these id pre 
As regards Melanospermea, it may be mentioned that Mr. 
Bastow retains Splachnidium in Fucacee, while Chroospora should 
be in Enceliacee instead of being included in pangs 
Dictyotacee contains a motley collection from other one 
nariacee, and Desmotrichum is in oe ‘pacea. Such genera as 
Pachydictyon and Dilophus, which are mainly Australian, find 
no place at all here, — being indian under Dictyota 
The object of these keys was main nly to he elp he beginner in 
naming alg, and no doubt they will be useful in this respect, aS 
the figures, though not well executed, are drawn fr om good soures; 
but this only makes one regret the more that such yal should 
those who have access to more complete libraries than our colonies 
can at present boast 
E. 8. B. 
