870 A Sketch of the Progress of Botany, etc. [December, 
In the American Fournal of Science and Aris for April, Leo 
Lesquereux published a review under the title, “ Notice of Gas- 
ton de Saporta’s Work: ‘The Plants of the world before the 
advent of man,” which is to be regarded as a real contribution to 
Phytopalzontology. 
Dr. Dawson’s paper “On Tertiary Plants,” published in the 
Report of the Geological Survey of Canada for 1879 has not 
been seen by the writer of this article. 
D. Historical— The Chronological History of Plants: Man’s 
record of his own existence illustrated through their names, uses 
and companionship,” by Charles Pickering. In this large volume 
the author aimed to present in a condensed form all that is known 
as to the plants used by or spoken of by the ancients. It is a 
monument to the patience and industry of its lamented author. 
Of a very different nature is Frederick Brendel’s “ Historical 
Sketch of the Science of Botany in North America from 1635 to 
1840.” (Am. NATURALIST, p. 754). Beginning with Cornut's 
Canadensium Plantarum Historia, 1635, “the first book on North 
American plants ever written,” the author notices in chronologi- 
‘ cal order the publications relating to American botany down to 
the year 1840. 
. Text Books —Two notable text books made their appear- 
ance during the year, viz: Gray’s “ Botanical Text Book: I.— 
Structural Botany,” and Goodale’s “Concerning a few Common 
Plants.” The first is the now well-known revision of the old 
Botanical Text Book. It is unnecessary to describe it; it at once 
took rank as one of the best books on structural botany extant. 
The second book is unfortunately less widely known. It was 
prepared as a supplement to a series of lectures to the teachers 
in the public schools of Boston and vicinity, As an aid to the 
earnest teacher seeking for the best methods of presenting the 
more important facts in the structure and physiology of the flow- 
ering plants, this little book is a valuable contribution. 
F. Periodical Publications —The two purely botanical journals 
of this country, The Bulletin of the Terrey Botanical Club and 
The Botanical Gazette, continued soba the year without 
any marked change in their characte 
_ The same may be said of the baa departments of the AMER- 
ICAN NATURALIST and the American Journal of Science and Arts. 
Two journals, in which botanical articles frequently appea red, 
ceased publication for want of adequate support, viz: Science 
_ News and The American Quarterly Microscopical Journal. 
