I 76 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Voı. XXXIX. 
want, which could best be supplied at the end, after all the types of 
tissues had been taken up. Possibly the author has purposely left 
the reader to construct for himself this picture of the plant as a 
whole. 
The appearance of a book as valuable as this in a foreign 
language, always brings with it a certain regret when there is no 
similar work available in English. Excellent as it is, the translation 
of DeBary’s anatomy is now very far behind the times and there is 
no other detailed account of plant anatomy in our language. In 
common with many others we hope that a translation of this third 
edition of Haberlandt's work will not be long in forthcoming. 
H. M. R. 
British Fresh-water Alga.! — In his treatise on the British Fresh- 
water Alge, G. S. West gives a general view of this group, based 
largely upon his own studies of the British Algæ. The great changes 
that have been made in recent years and the consequent limiting of 
the usefulness of previous monographs is noted. The need of a 
monograph of the fresh-water Algz which may be used to determine 
the genera and species is also called to one's attention. The book 
contains many new facts concerning life histories, development, and 
relationships of the Algae. It is illustrated by a large number of text- 
figures most of which are original and the localities from which the 
specimens were taken are noted. The Peridinez and Characez are 
left out as not being certainly true Alga. Besides a short preface, 
there is an introduction in which, after disposing of the historical 
considerations, the author discusses the occurrence, collection, pres- 
ervation, and cultivation of the Algz. Another chapter is devoted to 
a brief consideration of the six classes of the fresh-water Algz, their 
vegetative, asexual and sexual reproduction, polymorphism ; and the 
remainder of the chapter is given over to a discussion of the phylog- 
eny and classification, which is based on the latest work on the various 
groups. The main portion of the book deals with the various classes, 
orders, and families, with a full description of each genus. Asa rule. 
each genus is illustrated, often by more than one species. Under 
each genus are brief notes and accurate measurements of the British 
species most frequently met with. The work recognizes the law of 
priority in dealing with the names of the genera, thus tending to fix 
in general use certain older but much less generally used names. 
LAC. 
1 West, G.S. British Fresh-water Alge. Cambridge Biol. Series, Cambridge 
Univ. Press, 1904. 8vo, xv + 373 pp., 166 figs. in text. 6 
