6o8 THE AMERICAX XA Ti RALIST. [Vol. XXXVIII. 



BOTANY. 



A New Book on Ferns.^ — For all who study or wish to study our 

 native ferns, Dr. Waters has prepared a book which is sure to prove 

 both helpful and inspiring. The numerous photographic illustrations 

 include enlarged views of the fructification in which the generic char- 

 acteristics are often surprisingly well brought out. Specific and vari- 

 etal differences which frequently prove perplexing to beginners are 

 clearly shown in photographs of fronds or entire plants. Sometimes 

 these are grouped instructively in series to exhibit the range of varia- 

 tion. Especially charming and significant are the views showing 

 typical habits and habitats. 



The text besides pointing out the features by which forms are dis- 

 criminated, directs attention most happily to the out-door aspects of 

 ferns — their adaptations and preferences — in a way to encourage 

 the best sort of field work. As a help to determining specimens not 

 in fruit the key based upon characters drawn from the stipes will 

 doubtless prove welcome to all students of the group. While excep- 

 tion might be taken to such unnecessary departures from botanical 

 accuracy as the use of " stem " for stalk or stipe, the substitution of 

 untechnical for technical expressions has been, on the whole, skillfully 

 done. Dr. Waters writes as a lover of ferns and his contagious 

 enthusiasm suffuses the whole book. 



F. L. S. 



Porter's Flora of Pennsylvania.- — For sixty-five years Professor 

 Porter was an assiduous and intelligent collector and student of the 

 flora of the State in which he lived. A contemporary of Darlington, 

 Torrey and Gray, he shared their knowledge and views ; but he 

 lived to see a school of natural grouping of orders, species segrega- 

 tion, and nomenclatorial reform, quite different from theirs, come to 

 the front, and the editor of this posthumous Flora tells us that being 

 thoroughly acquainted with the author's ideas he can confidently say 



' Waters, Campbell E., Ph. D. Ferns: A manual for the Northeastern States, 



