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1910] CURRENT LITERATURE 63 
The English eciuain titi will consist of two volumes, the second treating of 
the origin of varieties and also of the general problems of the origin of new forms. 
The second volume is announced to appear in April—J. M. C. 
MINOR NOTICES 
Knuth’s handbook.—The third volume of the English translation of KNUTH’s 
Handbuch der Blutenbiologie has just appeared+ and completes the work. The 
original volumes and the two preceding volumes of the translation were reviewed 
in this journal,5 so that the general scope and character of the work have been 
noted. The first volume is a general one, treating of the structure of flowers and 
of insects in relation to pollination. The second volume is a record of observa- 
tions on flower pollination made in Europe and the arctic regions, arranged by 
natural orders and extending from ‘‘Ranunculaceae to Stylideae.” The present 
volume continues the subject of the second and includes the natural orders from 
“Goodenovieae to Cycadeae.”’ The encyclopedic character of the work may be 
judged by the fact that the second and third volumes contain observations on 1048 
genera and 3112 species of plants. There is appended a systematic list of insect 
visitors recorded in these two volumes, arranged alphabetically and with the 
hames of the plants visited, and the number of species reaches 2888. 
Such a work cannot be reviewed, it can only be announced. The burden of 
translation must have been enormous, but it has introduced English-reading . 
botanists to an immense body of facts, and may serve to stimulate work in this 
attractive field. The total cost of the three volumes ($24.25 in cloth, and $27.25 
in half morocco) may seem somewhat prohibitive, but the work may be made 
available in libraries.—J. M. 
A new laboratory guide.—The widespread interest in the teaching of botany 
in secondary schools is shown by the abundance of new textbooks and laboratory 
manuals. One of the latest of the latter is by CLutE.® It is divided into two 
parts; the first deals with the usual topics in connection with the structure and 
activities gf angiosperms, and the latter with the great plant groups. Its most 
striking features seem to be the small number of exercises, each of which is very 
Comprehensive; the large number of suggestive questions; and the useful set of 
definitions accompanying each exercise. The directions to the pupil are mainly 
contained in the questions, and these are very numerous (99 in one of the exercises). 
omplete answering of these would demand careful study of the material used, 
* Knuru, Pau, Handbook of flower pollination, based upon HERMANN MULLER’S 
work “The gehagespotis of flowers by insects.” Translated by J. R. AtNswoRTH 
Davis. Vol. III. 8vo. pp. iv+644. figs. 208. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1909. loth 
“75. 
5 Bor. GAZETTE 28:280. 1899; 28:432. 1899; 422494. gots ABs: io 
Curr, Witiarp N., Laboratory botany for the high school. pp. xiv+177- 
Boston: Ginn & Co. 1909. 75 cents. 
