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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLI 



the renewal of interest is to be seen in the completion of Knuth's 

 Handbuch, and certainly the popularity of this kind of investigation 

 is attested by the promise of a complete translation of this large work 

 from the Oxford press. 



It is not surprising that the Italians, who until very recendy have 

 had Delpino — a pioneer in this field — among them, should show 

 especial activity in studies of floral ecology. The Orto Botanico della 

 R. Universita di Napoli is now commencing the republication (Bull. 

 Orto Bot. R. Univ. Napoli 2:3-65. 1904) of a portion of Delpino's 

 Ulteriori Osservazioni which first appeared in 1873-74. This is 

 unquestionably one of the most important treatises on floral ecology 

 and its republication will be welcomed by many to whom the original 

 is not accessible. Delpino's elaborate classification was proposed at 

 a time when there was not a broad basis of observation but the con- 

 ception is certainly worthy of the most careful consideration and one 

 of the chief problems before future workers in this field is to determine 

 in how far floral adaptations may be thrown into real categories such 

 as Delpino suggests. This is to be one of the crucial tests of adapta- 

 tion which we need at the present stage of development of tlic evolution 

 theory. 



Before passing from the work of Delpino, it may not be out of phcc 

 writino-.s 1ms just Imvh publislicd by BHosi fAlti 1st. P.ot'rniv. 1/iivia 



and Smilax. Graeniclier has published tuo pap«>rs (Hull. Nat. Hist. 

 Soc. Wise. n. s. 5: 15-45, 84-95. 1907) on the pollination of W isconsin 

 flowers. In these the families Melanthaceae, Liliaceae, Convallaria- 

 ceae, Saxifragaceae, and Grossulariaceae are considered. The obser- 



