_ 404 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [NOVEMBER 
Andes or Puna with its wonderful xerophytic forms, the eastern sclerophyll 
forests, the northern Paramo, and the luxuriant eastern tropical forests. This 
part of the work is rather fully illustrated by excellent cuts and photographic 
reproductions. A short section follows on the culture plants, the volume 
concluding with an account of the geological development of the Peruvian 
flora, mostly in the form of tabulations.—H. C. CowLes. 
Plant life of Maryland 
“The plant life of Maryland”’s is the title of a volume issued as a Special 
Publication of the Maryland Weather Service, and is one of a series of reports 
of unusual completeness and excellence. The first of these reports dealt with 
the physiography and meteorology of the state; the second with the climate 
and weather of Baltimore and vicinity; and this, the third volume, presents 
the plant life in its relations to the physiography and climate, also inquires 
into the correlations between natural vegetation and crop possibilities, and: 
includes the agricultural features and forest resources of the state. 
The main part of the volume is by SHREVE, who directed the botanical 
survey. His introduction summarizes the geography, climatology, topog- 
raphy, mineralogy, and soils of Maryland. In Part II, after a brief history of 
field botany in the state, he discusses the floristics according to the present 
knowledge of the flora, comparing the three zones (coastal, midland, and 
mountain) with respect to the number and species of plants, and the floristic 
relations of the zones to each other and to other regions. 
Part III occupies the body of the book and presents the ecological plant 
geography. SHREVE considers first the eastern shore district of the coastal 
zone under the several divisions: upland, swamp, marsh, aquatic, dune, and 
strand vegetation. Comparison of this district with the coastal plain of New 
Jersey and of the southern states brings out striking variations. CHRYSLER 
treats the western shore district of the coastal zone under the following topics: 
forests (upland, lowland, and cypress swamps), marshes (fresh and salt), peat 
bogs, strand, and cultivated plants, the chief interest being in his discussion 
of the succession of the forest types and in the transition of salt to fresh water 
marshes, this region affording unusual opportunities for such studies. In the 
lower district of the middle zone, the vegetation is classified by SHREVE 
according to the soil types, the topographical and general physical conditions 
being here uniform, and the vegetation less diversified than elsewhere. The 
upper district of the midland is divided into four natural belts of ridges and 
valleys, and the characteristic plant life of these divisions is discussed by 
BLopcetr. SuReEve describes the mountain zone under seven headings: slopes, 
LEY oe W.1 orResT, Curyster, M. A., Biopcetr, Freperick H., and Brs- 
, F. W., The plant life of Maryland. 4to Baltimore: 
hns Hopkins ryland. 4to. pp. 533. pls. 39. figs. 15- 
Jo Press. rort. : 
