Report on Botany. 



/55 



Tribe, family and generic descriptions are given, several 

 new species described and the value of spore characters 

 has received due consideration. This work, with the 

 synopsis of the species of North American lichens which 

 is expected to follow it as soon as the health of the author 

 will permit, will doubtless give a new impulse to the labors 

 of lichenists in this country. 



3d. "We must not pass, without notice, Grevillea & 

 monthly journal devoted exclusively to cryptogamic botany. 

 Although published in a foreign laud it bids fair to con- 

 tain much that will be interesting to American students. 

 Already the Rev. M.J. Berkeley has commenced a series of 

 articles in it entitled Notices of North American Fungi. 

 In these articles many new species are described, species that 

 in some instances were detected years ago by the late Dr. 

 Curtis and his fellow workers, but that have until now 

 been known by mere cabinet or manuscript names. These 

 we now believe are to be fixed by good definite descrip- 

 tions. It certainly augurs well for cryptogamic botany 

 when an illustrated periodical of the character of Gre- 

 villea is regularly issued and generously sustained. If 

 we turn our attention to phseuogamic botany we have no 

 new issue of American works to record. 



The Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical club has just com- 

 pleted its third year. It is our only periodical devoted 

 exclusively to botanical subjects. It has met with such 

 favor and is so manifestly needed as a medium of commu- 

 nication between botanists that its managers are not only 

 disposed to continue it, but if possible to enlarge its 

 pages and its sphere of usefulness. 



Interesting and able botanical articles have from time to 

 time appeared in our various scientific and agricultural 

 journals and reports. To specify them all would be tedious. 

 As a whole they tend to show that more thought and at- 

 tention is now bestowed upon this science than a few years 



