— I2 7 — 



name of heracleifolia. Some other name will undoubt- 

 edly be found for it soon. For ourselves, we purpose 

 waiting about one hundred years before we take up any 

 more of this nomenclature nonsense, and in the mean- 

 time shall call the species by the good old names in use 

 when every fern student could recognize them at sight, 

 and when new facts and not new names were the objects 

 of a fern student's attention. 



BOOK NEWS. 



The title " How Ferns Grow," * selected for a new 

 book by Margaret Slosson, is a bit misleading. This is 

 not a treatise on the life processes of the ferns, but a 

 series of forty-six plates illustrating the forms assumed 

 by eighteen ferns from the sporeling stage to maturity, 

 with more or less explanatory text. All who are inter- 

 ested in the development of fern fronds will find this 

 a most attractive book, though they will doubtless regret 

 that all the ferns of our region were not selected for 

 treatment. The illustrations are by far the best part of 

 the work, however. The rootstock, leaves, venation, sori, 

 spores and habitat of each species are described with 

 great prolixity and in the less technical parts, the author's 

 style is so obscure or involved as not to be readily under- 

 stood. A fondness is exhibited for the possessive plural 

 in such terms as Species', Plants', Segments', etc. 

 Asplenium riita-miiraria, one of the best-known species 

 on both sides of the Atlantic is re-named Belvisia ruta- 

 muraria because Neuman separated it from the other 

 Asplcniums more than sixty years ago. The publishers 

 have done their part well, though the excellence of the 

 illustrations is marred by the evident fact that the origi- 

 nals were cut out of herbarium sheets in irregular pieces 

 and photographed. The nomenclature is " in accordance 

 with the American Code," whatever that may be. 



* " How Ferns Grow," by Margaret Slosson, New York ; 

 Henry Holt & Co., 1906. 8vo. Pp. 156. $4.00. 



