Botany. 259 



eter which can be well employed as a serviceable Clinostat. In 

 addition to the strong axis which carries the equipment of the 

 ordinary Clinostat, there is a smaller spindle driven by the same 

 machinery and at such rates of speed as may be wished. Upon 

 the latter spindle, the common form of registering drum is car- 

 ried with absolute steadiness. Although, on general principles, 

 one must view with more or less distrust an apparatus aiming to 

 reach two ends so widely diverse as the two just mentioned, the 

 present appliance has thus far worked satisfactorily. But for 

 ordinary use in the class room, it is inferior as an auxanometer to 

 either of the two simple and excellent ones figured and described 

 in the Botanical Gazette by Professors Bumpus and Barnes. 



G. L. G. 



3. Die natilrlichen Pflanzenfamilien, von A. Engler und 

 K, Prantl. Leipzig, 1887. (Now publishing in parts of which 

 12 have already been received). — The first number of this im- 

 portant work and the promise given by it were noticed in this 

 Journal last summer. The numbers which have since come to 

 hand redeem this promise in the most satisfactory manner. The 

 text exhibits care in its preparation even down to the minute 

 treatment of the economic plants, and, although the parts are of 

 unequal merit, all are of a high order, placing the work in the 

 front rank. The illustrations are excellent throughout, and are 

 lavishly used. Serial publications demand from the recipients of 

 the successive parts a fair degree of patience, since in most cases, 

 the separate articles come to the reader in a fragmentary form. 

 Until the disjecta membra are all before one, it is difficult to tell 

 whether they can be united to form a symmetrical structure : 

 everything depends upon the skill in editing and the sense of 

 proportion possessed by the editors. To them belongs the un- 

 gracious task ot contracting lengthy contributions and, more 

 rarely, of suggesting increase in volume. From all that appears 

 in the present publication, up to the present time, the editors 

 have performed their work with great judgment. Thus far the 

 chief burden has fallen on Professor Engler. A mere enumera- 

 tion of the leading contributions is all that can be justly given 

 at this early stage in the progress of the publication. Professor 

 Drude has finished the Palms in 93 pages, with seven pages addi- 

 tional given to the Cyclanths ; Haeckel carries the Grasses through 

 96 pages, with more to come; Engler has given 91 pages to Lili- 

 aceae ; Gymnospermae were treated of in 127 pages by the 

 lamented Eichler, whose notes have received some additions from 

 both the editors. Other contributions are from Pax, Hieronymus 

 and Wittmack. In the twelve numbers received, consisting of 

 about six hundred pages, there are 421 illustrations containing 

 about two thousand single figures. 



Such a work is of the highest value to teachers of botany and 

 ought even in its German form to command a large list of sub- 

 scribers in this country. It is sincei-ely to be hoped that an Eng- 

 lish translation may be early undertaken. G. l. g. 



