150 The American Naturalist. 
Mountains as along the Appalachians. This would seem to indicate 
very strongly a law of distribution such as noted above. It is 
probable that an exactly similar line of tabulation would be offered 
the southern and northbound genera, notably those of the Composite, 
of southern species along the slower river. At any rate, it is compar 
atively clear that some sort of a proportion may be assumed between 
the heights of two north-and-south mountain systems, and the num 
of species of northern genera in the more southern extensions of eac! 
FO —Conway MACMILLAN. 
An Important Work on the Fungi.—North American be 
ists already owe much to J. B. Ellis and B. M. Everhart for the excelle 
work they have done in the preparation of the great collection of 
specimens, the “ North American Fungi.” They are now about to 
deepen this obligation by the publication of a volume to be dev 
to the systematic description of the North American Pyrenom 
The volume will be illustrated by many full-page plates, giving 
external or gross anatomy, together with the internal micros 
Structure. A personal inspection of many of these plates warrants, 
in saying that this feature of the work will prove of inestimable value 
to the student of the fungi, Winter’s system of classification wl 
followed in the text. The volume will contain about five 
pages, and may be expected some time during the year. — 
Ringing Trees.—Hartig gives the following account i 
periments in ringing the bark from trees. Trees from whic a 
_ bark has been taken are affected differently, according to the Kl 
tree and the thickness of the trunks. Some die rapidly, wh 
probable effects must he Fei ae ike to or in at) 
may have taken place between the roots of the tree under 
and those of the untouched trees around, If the roots, 
tion of nourishment and of growth, and the formation of 
ee soon lose the faculty of absorbing water and the 
: RSS from the soil, the death of the plant must be the « 
quence of the operation, unless there are underground u 
Toob of neighboring trees by which life is sustained 
3 R 
