FEBRUARY 22, 1884. ] 
authorities, a small number of the figures be- 
ing original. The object seems to be quite as 
much to attract the eye by brilliant coloring 
as to furnish the student with accurately drawn 
microscopic details. The quality of the plates 
varies considerably : for, while those of Volvox 
and Mucor are effective, the same cannot be 
said of those of some of the lower forms, — as 
Nostoe, Oscillaria, Gloeocapsa, etc., — where 
a mass of color takes the place of clearness of 
outline, and important details are not well 
brought out. This may, however, be the fault 
of the lithographer, rather than of the original 
drawings. Considering their biological impor- 
tance, better and more numerous figures of 
Myxomycetes might have been given. The 
plates of Fucus and Cetraria are unnecessarily 
bad, considering that there are several works 
from which excellent figures could have been 
copied ; and the same may be said of the plate 
of Florideae, where no good figure of the 
procarp or cystocarp is given, and that of 
mosses, where the peristome is badly drawn. 
The antherozoid of a fern 1s represented not 
only without the usual bladder-like appendage, 
but also without cilia. 
The text consists of brief descriptions of the 
figures, with directions for studying the objects 
themselves in the laboratory ; the whole form- 
ing a skeleton to be filled out by the instruct- 
or. It seems to us that the use of the term 
* gonidium ’ in the sense of non-sexual spore 
is hardly warranted. ‘The word has a technical 
meaning in lichens, and its use in other orders 
has been superseded by better terms; and it is 
certainly undesirable to speak of the gonidia 
of Penicillium, for instance. 
The work is likely to have a large sale among 
amateurs who wish a hasty glance at the sub- 
ject ; but it would be better for students to pur- 
chase some of the text-books, like Sachs or 
Luerssen, where they will find the same figures, 
and a full text as well. 
ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 
Injurious insects of the orchard, vineyard, etc. Il- 
lustrated with over seven hundred and fifty 
woodcuts and twenty-five pages of classified 
illustrations. By Marruew Cooke. Sacra- 
mento, Crocker, 1883. 472 p.,illustr. 8°. 
Dortine the last few years, there has been a 
great growth in the popular appreciation of 
the importance of economic entomology. Asa 
result of this growth, the demand for popular 
works on this subject has increased. ‘To sup- 
ply this demand, numerous publications have 
appeared in rapid succession. Of especial 
SCIENCE 
Ya9 
233 
interest among these publications are the man- 
uals of Miss Ormerod, Mrs. Treat, Mr. Saun- 
ders, and Mr. Cooke. 
The work of the last-named author resembles 
in many respects the works of the others. 
Like them, it is largely a compilation; its 
chief merit being that it gives, in an easily 
accessible form, descriptions and figures which 
were scattered through many works. ‘There 
is, however, some original matter. This con- 
sists of notes respecting various Californian 
species, which were studied by the author while 
serving in the capacity of chief executive horti- 
cultural officer of that state. The insects are 
discussed under the head of the plants they 
infest. The descriptions are written in a clear 
and popular style; but in some cases they are 
too brief, and in others they bear the marks of 
hasty compilation. A peculiar and excellent 
feature of the work is the bringing-together 
into one part descriptions of all the remedies 
suggested. ‘These are referred to throughout 
the work by numbers. In this way unnecessary 
repetition is avoided. In the introduction a 
history of the legislation to prevent the spread 
of injurious insects in California is given. 
The work is profusely illustrated; but the 
sood figures are not new, the new ones are 
not good, and all are poorly, printed. Still the 
book will be found to be a very useful one, es- 
pecially to the fruit-growers of California. 
Twelfth report of the state entomologist on the nox- 
ious and beneficial insects of the state of Illinois. 
First annual report of S. A. Forbes, for the 
year 1882. Springfield, Ill., 1883. 104154 p., 
illustr. 8°. 
In this work we have the results of the first 
half-year of Professor Forbes’s administration 
as state entomologist. In studying the report 
we are deeply impressed, both by the amount 
that has been accomplished and by the thor- 
oughness with which the work is being done. 
Several of the articles in the report have been 
published separately during the past year, and 
have been noticed already in these columns. 
Of the other articles, the notes of experiments 
in the destruction of the European cabbage- 
worm, the account of a new plant-louse infest- 
ing cucurbitaceous plants, and studies on the 
chinch-bug, are the most important. The ob- 
servations on Micrococcus insectorum Burrill, 
a bacterium parasite of the chinch-bug, are 
especially interesting. 
We are glad to see that Professor Forbes 
has adopted the plan of intrusting some of 
the more special investigations to his assist- 
ants, and publishing the results they have 
* 
