NOTICES OF BOOKS. 258 
It is well printed and in hantly form. There are a few miuor slips, 
and other faults hardly to be accounted such; for example, the 
rot of Sphaerella aos alis as a synonym of ci fae ggg 
pluvialis. is is correct enough, but excusable o a 
exhaustive systematic treatise for an expert reader, sinc : the genus 
Sphaerella has been so altered, modified and shunted that its 
quotation here might readily imply a wrong relationship in the 
eyes of an elementary studen 
ithout desiring further contention on the use and abuse of 
the root-word ‘sperm’ in terminology, I would point out that when 
used in its zoological sense, e.y., ‘spermaries’ — antheridia, it is 
things. It would be ungracious to part from this book with any- 
thing that sounds like fault finding. It is a treasure to the 
amateur naturalist G 
Handbook of the Ferns of Kaffraria. By T. R. Simm, Curator, Botanic 
n, Williamstown, South Africa. Aberdeen: Printed by 
Taylor & Henderson. 1891. 8vo, pp. 63, 66 plates. 
Tais handbook contains popular descriptions of the sixty-eight 
Ferns found in Kaffraria, with outline plates of each of the species; 
there is also a chapter on fern- pulveason, and an explanation of 
few of the sree Ferns are endemic, and cates of them—e. g., 
Aspidium aculeatum, Hymenophyllum tu int , and Adiantum 
Capillus-veneris—are familiar to us at home. A s imilar han dbook, 
treating all the Ferns of the Colony, whieh number between 180 
and 140, would be useful. J. G. 
A Revised List of the Marine Alga of the Liverpool Marine Biological 
Centre District. By R. J. oh GiBson, M. A., F.L.S. 
The Distribution of ge Alge in 8; By Gro 
8. (Tra: satenciions <7 the Sieuepeol Biological 
Society, — 
Mucsa on and trouble must be expended before anything 
approachin i ‘aenfst list of the marine alge of such an extensive 
district as that selected by ie Committee of the Liverpool ee 
Society as the area of their explorations can be compiled; 
interested in the subject will therefore weleome Mr. Gibson’s list 
as a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the distribution of 
our native alge. 
Out of a total of little more than 500 recorded British species, 
250 are admitted into the list, while 21 more recorded by previous 
collectors as occurring in the district, but which have not been met 
with for many years, are added in an appeniies A apie table. of 
