146 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XL 



This volume is the most important piece of general bacteriological 

 literature that has been published in this country. It would be well 

 indeed to have a copy of it in every working laboratory. ^ 



L. H. PAjti|tpL 



A Bibliographical Index of North American Fungi.^— For 



about thirty years Professor Farlow has been accumulating a card 

 index referring to the fungi of North America. Nearly twenty years 

 since, two authors' lists of works on this subject were published, and 

 have been kept at the elbow of every student of our fungi since their 

 appearance. The publication has now been commenced of the 

 references to genera and species, as Publication No. 8 of the Carnegie 



The preparation of an index may appear to the uninitiated a simple 

 matter. A perusal of the author's seven-page preface is calculated 

 to undeceive one who holds such an opinion, and the preface also 

 contains some of the most sensible of recent commentary on nomen- 

 clature in natural history. A full list of abbreviations, and their 

 consistent use, have rendered possible a wonderfully condensed pres- 

 entation of tlie references to publications, which are kept within the 

 limits of a siiiulc text line each. Synonyms are intelligibly collo- 



Iii the pn-[)iiniii()ii of the index, the author has had the assistance 

 of Mr. Seymour's keen eyes for many years, and it may be predicted 

 with safety that no important omissions will be found. Dr. Farlow's 

 own familiarity with the literature of his subject is second to that of 

 no one, and the knowledge of fungi that he has brought to the accept- 

 ance of admitted names, the placing of those treated as synonyms, 

 and a very free critical annotation, is unequalled. 



The Carnegie Institution is to be congratulated on having under- 

 taken the publication of so generally useful a work as the Index of 

 North American Fungi, the value of which in facilitating thorough- 

 ness of study is certain to make itself felt in all future publications 

 on this important subject. 



W.T. 



Osterhout's Experiments with Plants.^— This book brings before 



»Farlow, W. G. Bibliographical Index of North American Fungi. Vol. 1, 

 parti," Abrothallus " to " Badhamia." The Carnegie Institution, Washington, 

 Sept. 1, 1905. 8vo, xxxv + 312 pp. 



^Osterhout, W. J. V. Experiments with Plants. New York, The Macmillan 

 Company, 1905. 8vo, x + 492 pp., 252 figs. 



