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278 The American Naturalist. [March, ~ 
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The New Gray’s Manual.—It is a significant thing that in 
` bringing out a new edition of the familiar Manual of Botany of the 
Northern United States, by Asa Gray,. the revisers found it necessary 
to extend its geographical limits westward to the rooth meridian, that 
is, to the middle of the Great Plains. ‘‘ The rapid increase of popu- 
lation west of the Mississippi River and the growing need of a manual 
covering the flora of that section, have seemed a sufficient reason for 
the extension of the limits of the work westward.” This action will 
relieve the teaching of elementary botany, in the west, of many of its 
embarrassments. Those who nave not tried it, can have little concep- 
tion of the difficulties encountered by college and high-school teachers 
in attempting to give to their pupils a knowledge of the local organic 
flora in the region lying between the Mississippi River and the Rocky 
Mountains. 
By a hasty calculation it appears that the region covered by the 
Manual has been increased about 70 per cent. The species described © 
have been increased by about 40 per cent.; however this is in part by 
the addition of the Hepaticz (141 species), and a number of immi- 
grants not included in the earlier addition. Probably the westward 
extension of the Manual has given it from 30 to 33 per cent. more 
species. The total number now described is 3298, of which 405 are 
said to be introduced. 
It is interesting to note where this increase takes place. It appears 
that the Polypetala have gave gained 46 per cent. (289 species), the 
Gamopetalz 36 per cent. (271 species), the Apetalz 64 per cent. (121 
species), the Monocotyledons 17 per cent. (11 5 species). In this increase 
certain orders stand out prominently ; for example: the Leguminosz 
are increased from 98 to 156, the Rosacee from 72 to 95, the Com- 
posita from 288 to 407, the Graminex from 168 to 250, The Gym- 
nosperms are increased by one only (Pinus ponderosa Douge, var., scopu- 
lorum Engelm. in Nebraska), ‘while through rigid revision the Cype- 
racez actually number two less than in the old edition. 
In glancing through the book one meets many new plants which 
will have an unfamiliar look to the eastern local botanist. We found, 
for example, Argemone platyceras, Cleome integrifolia, Viola nuttalht* 
Prunus demissa, Mentzelia ornata, Cucurbita Jætidissima, Adoxa mos- 
chatellina, Grindelia squarrosa, Aplopappus spinulosus, Eustoma russel- 
lianum, Solanum rostratum, Pentstemon cobæa, Amarantus blitoides, 
Lleagnus argentea, Andropogon hallii, Buchloé dactyloides, Munroa 
squarrosa, etc., etc, 




