c 
: 764 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vor. XXXIX. 
The introduction to the book gives a somewhat technical discussion 
of the botanical nature of wood and a description of the way in which 
different woods are formed by growth. Under the title “ Practical 
Hints," directions are given enabling one not skilled with a micro- 
scope to identify woods by their structural characters. It also tells 
how to make and mount thin sections of wood for examination with 
the microscope or with the stereopticon. 
The descriptions are illustrated by one hundred and eighty-six 
excellently reproduced photomicrographs. The scale of magnifica- 
tion is three times the natural size and is designed to show the 
appearance of the transverse section as seen by means of an ordinary 
hand lens. 
A good bibliography and index enhance the value of the book. 
A Notebook for the Botanical Laboratory in the High School. 
— The author has prepared this notebook with special reference to 
the work outlined in his well known text-books. The book gives 
comprehensive directions to the pupil for setting up experiments. It 
contains convenient ruled and blank sheets for the record of results, 
and there is also ample space for making drawings. It will do much 
to save time and trouble by minimizing the amount of routine dicta- 
tion demanded from the teacher. The notebook will help to develop 
accuracy, self-reliance, and originality in the pupil. It teaches him 
to be systematic without confusing him with a mass of unnecessary 
directions. 
HSR 
Notes.— A paper on fungous diseases of the cranberry, by Shear, 
forms Farmers’ Bulletin no. 227, of the U. S. Department of Agricul- 
ture. 
A popular abridgment of Lovell’s papers on colors of flowers is to 
be found in The American Botanist, for March. 
An account of the shade trees of Denver forms Bulletin 96 of the 
Experiment Station of the Agricultural College of Colorado. 
The roots of plants serve as subject for Bulletin no. 127 of the 
Experiment Station of the Kansas State Agricultural College, by 
Ten Eyck 
1 
Bergen, J. Y. A Notebook to Accompany Bergen’s Text-books of Botany. 
Boston, Ginn & Co., 1904. 4to, 144 pp. . 
