72 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



germinal substance, although limited to a single zone and separated 

 and differentiated from the rest of the soma, nevertheless exer- 

 cises its epigenetic, formative action upon all the rest of the 

 organism and during the whole of development, without under- 

 going any alteration whatever through this participation in deve- 

 lopment. We cannot say that his exposition, though interesting, 

 seems to bring us any nearer to the solution of the difficulties 

 which it proposes to explain. 



In Ferdinand Filarszky's Botanische Ergebnisse der For- 

 schungsreisen von M. v. Dechy iiii Kaukasus we have a general 

 account of the collections amassed during several expeditions to 

 the Caucasus, partly by von Dechy but chiefly by collectors who 

 accompanied him. The determination has been effected by various 

 experts, whose names are given in the introduction. Altogether 

 forty-seven new plants are described, twenty-one being flowering 

 plants. The plates are collotype reproductions from drawings by 

 A. Javorka, K. Czogler, E. Levier, Ch. Cuisin, and one or two 

 others. The text extends to 126 pages, unhappily printed on 

 the so-called art paper, highly calendered and faced with china 

 clay, which does not promise to last. The enumeration is followed 

 by a bibliography and list of stations. 



The Journal of the Friends' Historical Society for August last 

 contains an interesting article by Mr. W. F. Miller on " Sydney 

 Parkinson and his Drawings," which includes a summary of all 

 that is known about him and his parents, and a letter from Par- 

 kinson to Fothergill, written during the voyage of the Endeavour 

 (on which, as is well-known, Parkinson accompanied Banks as 

 botanical draughtsman) and hitherto unpublished. 



The number of the Neiu Phytologist published on December 23 

 contains an interesting account of the '' floristic results" of the 

 International Phytogeographical Excursion in the British Isles 

 undertaken last autumn by various British .and Continental 

 botanists. The results are summarized by Mr. G. C. Druce, the 

 author of the account, who " feels, as a floristic botanist, that in 

 future he must not be content with merely looking at or studying 

 the individual, but must also investigate its neighbours and 

 environment." " Through the acumen of Dr. Ostenfeld," he says, 

 " a new w^ater-lily [Nymphcea Candida Presl] and a lady's mantle 

 [Alchemilla acutidens Buser] have been added to our flora. Prof. 

 Massart pointed out a new * variety ' of Sagina nodosa [S. glabra 

 Fenzl] and Dr. Graebner urged that Juncus ranarius has claims 

 to specific rank. Prof. Graebner also showed the members a 

 variety Erikce of Calluna vulgaris, which Prof. Ascheron had 

 named after Frau Erika Graebner, while Dr. Lindman directed 

 attention to a hitherto undescribed form of Polygonum aviculare." 

 Mr. Druce also describes numerous varieties and indicates further 

 possibilities in the w^ay of additions of names to our lists. 



Jean Baptiste Edouaed Bornet, the veteran algologist, died 

 in Paris on the 8th December, 1911, at the age of 83. 



