Miscellanies. 159 



Alliance I. Algales, (Sea-weeds.) — Deriving nutriment from 

 the watei' in which they are submerged. — Occupying 150 pages. 



Alliance II. Mycetales. — Deriving nutriment from the ma- 

 trix or the surrounding air ; mycelium more or less evident. — 

 Subdivided into 



1. Fungales (Fungi).. Occupying 137 pages. 



2. Lichenales (^Lichens). Occupying 5*7 pages. 



Class II. — Acrogens. — Mostly herbaceous, and provided with 

 foliaceous appendages. * * * * Spermatozoids spiral. — 

 Comprises 



Alliance- III. Characeales (Charas) — Spores solitary. — A 

 small order containing but three genera. Occupying 5 pages. 



Alliance IV, Muscales (Liverworts and Mosses). — Spores 

 numerous, giving rise to a plant which produces one or more suc- 

 cessive of fructifying archegonia. — Occupying 70 pages. 



Alliance V. Filicales (Ferns and Allied Plants). — Spores 

 numerous, producing a prothallus which bears a single set of 

 archegonia, which yield fructifying plants.) Occupying 57 pages. 



The absence of a synoptical table of contents, and of a running 

 title to the right-hand page, is in some measuie compensated for 

 by the unusually full index at the end of the volume, where the 

 reader will also find a valuable classified catalogue of the most 

 note-worthy works relating to Cryptogamic Botany. 



The Publisher has, done his part to make the book valuable ; 

 the printing being good, the type clear, and the engravings though 

 scant in numbers sparse — well executed. The paper of our copy 

 is, however, uneven ; the first half of the volume being of much 

 better quality than the remainder. 



A Scientific Exploring Expedition, consisting of three or four 

 persons, is about to proceed, under the sanction of the govern- 

 ment, through the Western portion of British America. It is in- 

 tended that the party should proceed from Lake Superior to Lake 

 Winnipeg, and from thence through the country lying between 

 the northern branch of the Saskatcharan and the boundary of the 

 United States. The government is desirous of making the Expe- 

 dition as scientifically useful as possible ; and with this view, the 



assistence and counsel of the Royal Society have been sol-icited. 



The Council has appointed a Committee to act in the matter, and 



a report has been drawn up. The Expedition is to be commanded 



by Mr. John FalW&er.—Athenceum, April 25. 



