Botany. 493 



begins with "protoplasm," it ends with "debris," or bits of 

 wisdom — poetic and prosaic, secular and biblical — left over when 

 the book was done, " for want of a suitable place to use them." 

 There is, last of all, a bibliography, in which the Robert Brown 

 is not discriminated from a Robert Brown, author of a Manual 

 of Botany, owing, no doubt, to the exceeding brevity of citation ; 

 while, by some odd mishap, Bentham and Hooker's Genera Plant- 

 arum is said to be published at Berlin. But it is hardly gracious 

 to notice such blemishes, nor to complain of proof-reading and 

 form, since the book was printed at Lansing, yet not badly in 

 most respects. The numerous figures are mainly particularly 

 good, not only those of grasses drawn by Mr; Scribner, but also 

 the mici'oscopic illustrations by Sudworth. The short and good 

 chapter on the Fungi of Forage Plants is contributed by Pro- 

 fessor Trelease ; and the original figures, if not fine, are fairly 

 effective. Not content with giving, in this volume, a practical 

 account of the principal forage grasses, with their physiology, 

 morphology, cultivation and management, — in which " it is hoped 

 that the farmer or general reader who has never studied botany 

 will find much to interest and help him " — and the hope is amply 

 warranted— the author announces a second volume, to contain 

 the description of all known grasses of North America, 700 or 

 more species. This is a more formidable undertaking, whether 

 the treatment is to be mainly popular and practical, or more 

 scientific, or both combined. a. g. 



5. Serjania Sapindacearum Genus monographice descriptum • 

 von L. Radlkofee, was published in 1875 in the Transactions 

 of the Royal Bavarian Academy at Munich, and it gained the 

 Candollean quinquennial prize, as well it might. This accom- 

 plished systematic botanist has now published, in a later volume 

 of the same series a detailed supplement, of nearly 200 pages 

 and 9 plates, the last a distribution map. Moreover, the Fish- 

 inebriating Plants have been taken up by Dr. Radlkofer 

 (Sitzungsberichte der Bayer. Acad. Wiss., xvi, 1886, p. 380) 

 apropos in the first instance to two notable species of Serjania, 

 treated of in his monograph of that genus. To the present paper 

 is added an Index plantarnm ad pisces capiendos adhibitarum, 

 arranged under their natural orders. The list amounts to 154 

 species, besides twenty others which, being known only under 

 popular names, are dubious. a. g. 



6. 2'he British Moss Flora, its indefatigable author, Dr. Braith- 

 waite, has, in Part x, completed the first volume of. It runs to 

 315 pages, with 44 plates (such as only Sullivant could rival), all 

 executed by his own hand. This admirable work is published 

 by the author, at 303 Clapham Road, London. We are informed 

 that the sale so far covers the actual outlay, and that it will be 

 continued. Would that we could have such a moss-book, with 

 figures of all our North American species; but as that may not 

 be as yet, and as the species are largely the same, our bryologists 

 should thank Dr. Braithwaite for all he is doing for them. a. g. 



7. Pittonia, a Series of Botanical Papers, by Edward L. 



