
248 THE AMERICAN .NATURALIST. [Vor. XXXVI. 
in the Latinized hames of our higher plants, they insured the most 
rapid possible introduction’ ‘of the proposed changes by taking steps 
for the compilation and publication of ʻa check list in which these 
changes should appear; and the frequent adoption of the names 
approved by the authors of that list, in general and local botanical 
papers, and their subsequent application through the large /Wustrated 
Flora of Britton and Brown, have made them generally familiar, — to 
the pleasure of some and the great regret of other botanists, both at 
home and abroad. With the changes in names have also come a 
change in the way of viewing species and increased attention in the 
field to the divisibility of species which scarcely admitted of a satis- 
factory knowledge from herbarium material. 
To meet these needs and changed conditions the ///ustrated Flora 
was prepared; and yet it was too bulky and, notwithstanding its 
remarkable cheapness, too costly for the fullest desirable uses. 
Because of these reasons, Dr. Britton, the active editor of the Fra, 
set to work to prepare a more condensed manual with the same pur- 
pose and limits as the Fra, and it now appears in a convenient 
and —for this class of book — attractive form, and is undoubtedly 
destined to have a wide sale and to serve a good purpose. That it 
will lead to a recognition of many valid species of the region covered, 
not recognizable by use of the familiar Manual of Dr. Gray, is cer- 
tain, and that it will ultimately replace the latter in general use is not 
improbable, though the present writer would recommend the use of 
the two conjointly, rather than of either by itself. T. 
Vegetable Pathology.' — Almost from the installation of the first 
agricultural experiment station, the diseases of plants have been a 
. fruitful and legitimate subject for investigation, and the selection of a 
station botanist has more than once hinged on his fitness to become 
the plant pathologist at the same time. Yet the efforts of investi: 
uen have been T turned to the — of the life histories of 

fow::3 tlia: es with: the 
details E. E aled any ud the green pneus us marks a distinct 
advance in. knowledge. and. points the way for the establishment of 
~ Ward; "H. Marshall - P PAN agree NM. vae 
: e go PP- 
