Botany and Zoology. 287 



Ost-Slhirien, im Auftrage der Kaiserlkhen Russischen Gesellschaft, aus- 

 pefiihrl in den Jahren, 1855-1 859, durch G. Radde, Bot. Abth. Moscow, 

 186 1, 8vo), bj the same indefatigable author. Of the latter we have 

 only the first part, of 211 pages, and five 4to plates. It is a more ex- 

 tensive work than the general title would denote, being a kind of supple- 

 ment to the Flora Rossica, for all accessions from the wide regions east of 

 the Altai, including Kamtschatka and even Sitcha. Its fullness may be 

 estimated when we state that the 211 pages before us extend only from 

 the Banunculacece to the Crun/erce inclusive ; and also that, in the form 

 of notes, Dr. Regel gives new and complete revisions (at least for the 

 Russian Empire) of many of the larger or more difiicult genera, or their 

 more troublesome sections. Pulsatilla, Adonis, Aconitum, Corydalis, 

 Barbarea, and a part of Braba are thus revised, on the author's own 

 proper observations, and apparently upon excellent principles. Among 

 other things which attract our attention, we note that he replaces the 

 name Ranunculus Purnhii, Hook., by the earlier R. radicans, C. A. 

 f'eyer; he should have gone back to the earlier name, (A. Gmeleni, 

 ^C.); that having a second apetalous /so/jyrwm, he takes up Rafines- 

 que's genus Enemion; and that he suspects Caulophytlum robustum to be 

 «f'y a geographical variety of C. thalictroides. As to this, we had here 

 '■eached the same conclusion, from such incomplete comparisons as we 

 could make; but additional materials are wanted. To the works above- 

 mentioned we may add Dr. Regel's Revision of the Russian and outlying 

 species of Thalictrum, a separate publication, pp. 50, Svo, with three 

 plates. The first plate represents T. sparsiftorum, which, Dr. Regel will 

 perceive from the observations in this Journal, under No. 76 of Dr. 

 i;arry's collection, is truly a denizen of North America. These publica- 

 tions are all full of matters of immediate interest to us, and suggestive of 

 numerous particular enquiries; and their continuation with the same 

 aci'teness and spirit, prornises much for the advancement of our knowl- 

 ^ge of the vegetation of the northern temperate zone, and of the geo- 

 graphical relations of the species. ^ , ^- »• , 

 5. Cork.—Be la Production Naturelle et Artificielle du Lxege dans le 



paper is i 



th's honored name'in the third generation of botanists, and as an account 

 °f the formation and structure ot' cork in the Cork-oak, both m the natural 

 ^tate, and especially under the operation which has to be practiced in 

 "^er to the production of cork of any commercial value. The operation 

 J^nsists in the removal from the trunk of the natural corky layer of the 

 5*'tdown to the subjacent cellular envelope or green layer; which is 

 5^ne m Algeria, (where young De Candolle's observations were made), 

 <^""ng the summer or autumn! Shortly after this operation, a new corky 

 ^t^tum begins to form in the green layer, at a variable distance frorn its 

 f^nuded surface. This grows by annual layers upon its internal face, 

 S «s the original and worthless corky layer did ; but this ,s much tiner 

 ^^ niuch mo?e elastic, and is the commercial article, ^hen this valua- 

 J'« cork has attained sufficient thickness, ordinarily after seven or eight 

 y«>«, it also is removed with the same result as before, i. e, still another 



