No.417.] REVIEWS OF RECENT LITERATURE. 785 
A first part deals with the structure, functions, and classification 
of plants. Beginning with the seed and its germination, this part 
treats comparatively of the various organs of seed plants as regards 
their gross anatomy, histology, and physiology, then considers various 
types of cryptogams, and finally outlines the evolutionary history of 
the vegetable kingdom. Following this comes a part devoted to 
ecology, which ends with a brief discussion of the causes of organic 
evolution. "The last third of the book consists of a key and flora in 
which are described nearly seven hundred species of plants available 
for study in the springtime. A Handbook for the Use of Teachers is 
published separately. This includes. sixty-two pages of practical 
suggestions and references supplementary to the numerous direc- 
tions for observations, experiments, and extra reading which are 
given in the text-book itself. 
The book abounds in fresh, interesting facts illustrating the prin- 
ciples discussed. These, too, are presented in a way to be intel- 
ligible and significant to young people. It will lead them to many 
intellectual delights. 
Comparatively few errors have been noticed, and these are for the 
most part such as will be readily detected by teachers who use the 
book. They may be misled, however, by the unqualified adoption 
of the calyx-adnate theory of inferior ovaries given in Chapters XV 
and XVIII. To-say the least, this complicated view of the morphology 
of many flowers and fruits is open to serious question, The modern 
view which regards an inferior ovary simply as one imbedded in the 
torus accords much better with what is known of the development 
of flowers, and avoids much perplexity to the student of flower and 
fruit morphology. FREDERICK LERoy SARGENT. 
Notes. — Professor Jepson’s Flora of Western Middle California 
(Berkeley, Cal., 1901, iv + 625 pp.), which covers a region already 
locally handled, is really an expression of the author’s own success 
in a field recognition of species, and, as he is conscientious and has 
drawn up his descriptions from fresh material instead of compiling 
them or basing them on herbarium fragments, the book should be 
helpful 
Dennert’s Plant-life and Structure, translated from the German 
by Clara L. Skeat, forms one of the “ Temple Primers,” of which 
The Macmillan Company are the American publishers. It is easier 
to say why some books see the light than others. 'This little book 
belongs in the second category. 
