250 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vor. XXXVI. 
author here traces these effects of the environment. Means of meas- 
uring photosynthetic activity described in the first chapter are applied 
to the study of this form of activity in saprophytes and parasites and 
to the effect. of light, temperature, moisture, and mineral salts on 
this function in green plants having a normal nutrition. p H.T. 
Our Forests. — Popular interest in the preservation of forests is 
too often a matter of extremes, so diverse reasons as pure emotion or 
simple business considerations leading to the wish for their protec- 
tion, while private greed is ever encroaching on them in the most 
ruthless fashion. A most attractive presentation of the subject from 
the zsthetic standpoint is made in a little book by G. F. Schwarz.’ 
A pleasingly written commentary on a few selected trees representa- 
tive of our deciduous and coniferous woods is followed by chapters 
on forest adornment, the distribution of American. forests, the char- 
acters of the broad-leaf and coniferous forests, and the artificial 
forests of Europe. "Throughout, the book is ‘well. illustrated by 
process cuts. It is neither botany nor forestry, but a delightful 
presentation of the beauties of nature as exemplified in forests, 
equally correct in treatment when viewed from: either of these 
special points of view, and calculated to draw increased attention 
to the desirability of holding as tenaciously às possible to what is 
still left of this most charming phase of nature. T. 
The Annals of the Calcutta Garden.?— Like its predecessors, 
this volume is not only well brought out, but of permanent value, and 
the authors, Messrs. King, Duthie, and Prain, are to be congratulated 
on it. - The plates are lithographed, and an excellent photogravure 
representing A/bizzia Richardiana serves as frontispiece. T. 
Notes. — In the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club for Denada 
Miss Eastwood describes several new Delphiniums from California. 
A paper on seed coats of certain species of Brassica, including 
good anatomical figures, by A. J. Pieters and V. K. Charles, is pub- 
lished as Bulletin 29 of the Division of Botany of the United States 
pio toes of Agriculture. 
1 Schwarz, G. F. Forest Trees and Forest Scenery. Ner York, The Grafton 
Press, 1901. xiv -- 183 pp. 
? Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. ix; pti A Second Cen 
tury of New and Rare Indian Plants. CPI Ee Ranga) Sdcetaein) P 
Igor. 82 pp., 94 pls. Zrigs — 
