45 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. (Vor. XXXIX. 
question and must necessarily depend in a measure on the individual 
teacher and the conditions under which he works. Here the fruit 
is advocated as the point of departure, from which the student natu- 
rally passes to the study of the seed and seedling, till finally the fully 
developed plant and its organs are all taken up. In connection with 
the necessary morphological and anatomical study, the physiology 
and, to an adequate extent, the ecological relations of the plant, are 
brought out. The author's attitude towards ecology will be appre- 
ciated by many, for without in any sense undervaluing its interest 
and importance he subordinates it so that it is not made the only 
end and aim of botanical instruction. The consideration of types 
follows, but the transition seems a little abrupt from what has gone 
before. Whether, in the time usually available in schools, the stu- 
dents could with advantage study such obscure forms as Mysqny. 
cetes, must be a question. 
The value of the book as a whole, to teachers, particularly to those. 
who have not had the advantage of adequate preparation, cannot 
but be great. It is essentially not a book which deals with fads, 
the importance of nature study under the conditions which exist is . 
recognized without exaggerating this importance, the use of botanical 
instruction proper in higher schools is justified with reasonable mod- 
eration. The attitude of the author towards essential questions is 
wholesome and stimulating. While enthusiasm of the best kind is 
strongly advocated, sentimentalism is frowned upon, honesty of 
: thought and of observation is insisted upon. The dynamic point of 
view, already referred to, that plants should be considered as living 
organisms and not merely as aggregations of cells and tissues 
arranged in interesting patterns, or as objects to be placed in hard 
and fast categories, will undoubtedly serve to stir up those who tend ` 
to fall into a too formal conception of botany ; and the need of such 
stimulus when the great mass of botanical instruction the country 
over is considered, is probably almost as great as ever. Another 
point of value is the warning against unreasoning acceptance of 
teleological and causal interpretations, which bring about false con- 
ceptions of the significance of structures. The great value of the 
book then is in this plain straightforward attitude and the desire to 
avoid and show others how to avoid, question begging ideas of form 
and of function. As to the particular form of a botanical course for 
secondary schools it is not necessary to assume any finality in the 
arrangement suggested, nor is it necessary for the teacher to follow 
exactly the plan — to be able to get a very useful stimulus 
from the book. 
