1891.] Botany. 485 
but the figures are much more so. Accordingly, our author has given 
us an abundance of figures, to represent our fourteen hundred species. 
He has also greatly simplified the work of comparison by having all 
the figures drawn to the same scale. By a little patience and practice 
the student of Diatoms may easily identify any species he may happen 
to find. 
The book contains in addition to the plates a short preface, in which 
a brief historical account is given of the study of Diatomacez in this 
country ; following this is a bibliography, including forty-seven cita- 
tions ; next follows a short ‘‘ Introduction ” of five pages, devoted to 
a summary account of habits, structure, etc. ; after which comes Prof. 
H. L. Smith’s ‘‘ Conspectus of the Families and Genera,’’ as published 
in Zhe Lens, in 1872. Last of all in the text is an alphabetical 
arrangement of genera and the American species under them (also 
arranged alphabetically), with references to the plates in which they 
are illlustrated. 
The work will at once become a necessity to every botanist who 
gives any attention to these interesting plants. The low price of 
the book ($6.00) is another feature which will commend it to all.— 
CHARLES E. BEsseEy. 
The ‘Field Edition” of Gray’s Manual.—This new book 
weighs fourteen ounces, and measures seven and three-eighths by four and 
five-eighths inches, and is but seven-eighths of an inch in thickness, The 
old book weighs more than two pounds, is an inch longer and wider, is 
is twice as thick, and more than two-and-a-half times the bulk of the 
. new one. With exactly the same type, and actually four more printed 
pages, the little book is admirably suited to the botanist’s needs. Its 
leather cover and strong binding give it much greater durability than 
the old one, while its small size enables the collector to slip it easily 
into his pocket. Now that such an edition has appeared, we ipa 
that publishers did not venture to bring it out sooner.—A. F. W 
The Flora of the High Nebraska Plains.—The 2oth of 
August, 1890, I set out for Western Nebraska, where I spent a month 
in collecting on the plains above 4,000 feet altitude above sea-level. 
Waiting for the train at Julesburg, Col., I could not withstand the 
temptation to take a walk on the bottomland of Lodge Pole Creek. 
The flora was far from rich. The grass here, as well as nearly every- 
where in Deuel, Banner, and Cheyenne counties, Neb., was very short, 
and, on account of the long drought, dried up. ` The whole valley 
reminded me of a pasture in the month of November. A list of a few 
