—31— 



that Prof. Cocks may obtain a hint of promising locations 

 for Adiantnni capillus-veneris by consulting the reports 

 on the geology of Louisiana. Mr. Harper found one of 

 the best stations for this fern in Georgia in this way. 



Mr. E. P. St. John calls our attention to the statement 

 in an old number of Garden and Forest that Nephr odium 

 fragrans is found in the Shawangunk Mountains of 

 Southeastern New York. The elevations in these moun- 

 tains seldom rise above 2000 feet, and it is probable that 

 some other fern — possibly the Dicksonia — has been mis- 

 taken for its rarer ally : though it may be that the other is 

 really found there. Mr. St. John, however, failed to find 

 it. Dicksonia has often been mistaken for the fragrant 

 shield fern. In Millspaugh and NuttalTs " Flora of West 

 Virginia " the statement is made that the fragrant shield 

 fern is so plentiful on the mountains as to be cut for hay. 

 Of course this is the Dicksonia. 



BOOK NEWS. 



The twenty-first volume of John Lane's Hand-books of 

 Practical Gardening is entitled " The Book of the Iris," * 

 by Irwin Lynch. In this excellent volume, " the poor 

 man's orchid " is treated principally from the cultural 

 standpoint, and little if anything is left unsaid that will 

 assist the amateur to grow these handsome flowers. The 

 book begins with the natural history of the plant, dis- 

 cusses the Iris garden and the growing of the flowers, 

 and treats of the diseases and insects that trouble them. 

 The second part deals with classification, and includes 

 descriptions of all the species and hybrids known in culti- 

 vation, with keys for their identification. There are 

 thirty-six illustrations from photographs. 



Teachers of nature-study will be interested in a little 

 book entitled " How Nature Study Should be Taught." f 

 The author is Dr. E. F. Bigelow, well and favorably 

 known to the nature-loving public as an entertaining lec- 

 turer and writer on out-door themes, and nature editor 



* The Book of the Iris, by Irwin Lynch. New York, John 

 Lane, 1904. 214 pp.. $1.00. 



t How Nature Study Should be Taught, by Edward F. Bige- 

 low. Xew York, Hinds, Noble & Eldredge, 1904. Pp. 203, $1.25. 



