378 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF BOTANY. 



Eediscovery of Sagina alpina. — Mr. G. C. Druce announces in 

 the Ann. Scott. Xat. Hist, for October Lis rediscovery of this plant 

 on the Cairngorms, " on the steep cliffs of Corrie Sneachda, and 

 also on a rock near the waterfall which enters Glen A'an from Ben 

 Muich Dhu." Mr. Druce has compared his plant with Don's 

 specimens, and considers them identical. It may be of interest to 

 transcribe literally Don's note on his specimen in Herb. Mus. 

 Brit. : — " Sagina alpina. This I believe to be a new species. I found 

 it upon Ben Nives, in Lochaber. This answers to the following 

 description— folior. radicalibus linearibus obtusus nitidus floro 

 apetalo. This differs from the apetala in the radical leaves being 

 broader and after and opening and it is a considerable larger 

 plant. I have cultivated this and apetala for 2 years and the 

 remain permanently different. Found in 1794. This is a culti- 

 vated speciment, but it is no way different from the wild spec, in 

 appearance." The plant is the Sagina maritima 3. alpina of Syme 

 (F. B. ed. 3, ii. 118). — James Beitten. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



An Introduction to the Study of Botany. By Arthur Dendy and 



A. H. S. Lucas. Melville, Mullen & Slade, Melbourne, 1892. 

 pp. xv. 271, figs. 81. Price 6s. 



One of the best things within the covers of this little book is 

 the dedication, which shows the authors in the favourable light of 

 respect and admiration for Baron von Mueller. It is divided into 

 two parts. The first is intended to teach Elementary Botany at lar*e, 

 and the second to aid the student in a special study of Australian 

 forms. The first part deals in the familiar manner with Protococcm, 



bactena, Spirogyra, Mucor and Saccharomyces, Marchantia, Pteris, 



Pmu, and F«m, with a brief chapter on the principal divisions of 

 the Vegetable Kiugdom. It is, as indicated, the type system, not 

 at its best and illustrated by a series of ghastly diagrams. This 

 sort of book will be very useful to the class taught by the writers, 

 but outside it cannot compete with plenty of class-books known to 



cl • ii m l ea S Wlth the 8truct « r e of Flowering Plants 



specially (this is better done), and contains a chapter with the 



tZt f S °T- ° rder3 0CC ™S « Australia, illustrative 

 Australian genera being cited. One cannot help regretting that the 



i ? nS3n,ftn "«? "S^! thdr eff ° rts to the Potion of a short 

 he it to ;£7 ^ Sti ; u « tural . aild Physiological point of view, to 

 the Key to the System of Victorian Plants of Baron von M„o1W 



uspt'nl to tho f«ii£ a„A jT r • , 6 , XXUSbli *"au. naturalist, so 

 to brin. it ^ffledged.botanist, only needs such an introduction 

 to bung it within reach of the classes taught in Australian 



Sfe, t £ eS T L f aS a . nd Dend >' are in ™ way lackfn. t The 

 tonitv of Wif dVaUta ? e ° f this su g? es tion and the unique onpor 

 Cs 7 " rthGnUg the 8tud y 0f BotaQ y ^^ead of ''botanical 



G. M. 



