74 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vor. XXXVI. 
The book has a distinct place, and ought to be very welcome, 
both as a work of reference and as a stimulus to further work in 
this important group of plants, which are so well represented in our 
own flora. D. HC. 
MacDougal’s Plant Physiology.'— Those who have had occa- 
sion to feel the lack of a clear, concise, and up-to-date text in plant 
physiology will welcome the appearance of any promising book on 
this subject. Dr. D. T. MacDougal, of the New York Botanical 
Garden, is the author of a work of this character. 
Dr. MacDougal points out in his preface the increased recognition 
of irritability in its various manifestations, due chiefly to the work of 
Pfeffer, and makes this the cardinal point in his arrangement of the 
subject-matter. The first seven chapters are devoted to a considera- 
tion of this subject in its different phases. The study of these 
functions and properties, or the organism and its interaction with 
environmental conditions, is thus the first task of the student. The 
composition of the plant body, exchange and movements of liquids, 
metabolism, growth and reproduction, are taken up in the order 
named. To some this order of consideration may seem open to 
question on the ground that the student is plunged immediately into 
the thick of the most obscure of plant activities, where he can find 
little by way of physical or chemical foundation to lend him 
support. 
In general, the treatment of the different phases of the subject of 
irritability is very satisfactory. One notes with pleasure that recent 
work has been incorporated. A sense of being in touch with the 
movement of the science is worth not a little as a stimulus to the 
student. This prompt acceptance, however, in an elementary text, 
of work that has not been thoroughly verified, unfortunately has its 
possible disadvantages. Occasionally, without criticising a given 
piece of work, one hesitates to accept the author's statement of 
results without a grain of salt. Explanations, even though plausible, 
may rightly fail to win unreserved adherence until more evidence is 
at hand. The work of Nemec on transmission of stimuli, Loew's 
explanation of the action of various classes of poisons, and (in 
‘another part of the book) Nathansohn's amitotic nuclear division 
under the circumstances reported, illustrate the principle just enun- 
ciated. In some cases, through oversight, minor errors have crept 
Tiea D. T. Practical Text-Book of Plant dom s London, 
— GM CR ee Sage 352 PP. >- 
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