444 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [may 



of the gymnosperms and angiosperms contains a few illustrations from articles 

 by Chamberlain and Miss Pace which had been published in the Botanical 

 Gazette. The articles on paleobotany were first written by Potonie, after 

 whose death they were revised by Kubart in Graz. In these articles the 

 work of Seward is never mentioned, and Scott is hardly considered. The 

 articles on plant genetics are more up-to-date, and best of all are those on 

 physiology and anatomy. 



The lack of knowledge with regard to American and English botanical 

 literature is very pronounced in many German publications. The geologists 

 in Germany know more English because they have to read the publications of 

 the U.S. Geological Survey. — A. C. Noe. 



Origin and development of Compositae. — Small 3 has assembled in book 

 form his papers on the origin and development of the Compositae, which 

 appeared in the New Phytologist during 1917-1919. It is an application of 

 our knowledge of evolution, heredity, and geographical distribution to the 

 immense amount of material presented by this great family. This study has 

 been carried on for ten years, and "in so far as success has been achieved in 

 the unravelling of the tangled skein of descent of this particularly large group of 



• • 



angiosperms, it is due to the recognition of new criteria and the critical revision 

 of the old criteria."— J. M. C. 



Joseph Dalton Hooker. — Bower 4 has written a most interesting account 

 of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker for the series of booklets issued by the "Society 

 for Promoting Christian Knowledge," under the general title * 'Pioneers of 

 Progress," and the subtitle "Men of Science." The titles of the brief chapters 

 suggest the contents: Birth and education; Foreign travel; Kew; Author- 

 ship; The species question; Personal characteristics; Hooker's position as a 

 man of science. The author and his style form a combination that insures 

 authoritative statements and interesting presentation. — J. M. C. 



Flowering plants and ferns. — Under this title Willis published the first 

 edition of his manual and dictionary in 1897. A second edition appeared in 

 1904, a third in 1908, and now a fourth edition has been published. 5 The 

 purpose is to supply a convenient summary of information about plants, and 

 the result is a very convenient book of reference. The most noteworthy feature 

 of the present edition is the incorporation of all the parts of the earlier editions 



* Small, James, The origin and development of the Compositae. pp. xi+334- 

 pis, 6. London: William Wesley & Son. 19 19. 



« Bower, F. O., Joseph Dalton Hooker, pp. 57. New York: Macmillan Co. 

 1919. 



s Willis, J. C, A dictionary of the flowering plants and ferns. Fourth edition, 

 pp. xii+712+Hv. Cambridge: The University Press. 1919. New York: G. P. 

 Putnam's Sons. 



