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but Dr. Waters has proven otherwise in his new volume with the 

 simple title of "Ferns."* If the older books are taken as books 

 designed for beginners, the new one may be described as one step 

 more technical — a connecting link between popular handbook and 

 scientific manual. In the matter of information it contains prac- 

 tically nothing that has not been published before, being 

 primarily a rearrangement of what is known of our ferns and 

 bearing internal evidence that the pages of the popular works 

 above mentioned have supplied much help in its making. This is 

 especially noticeable in the appropriation of original stanzas from 

 "Our Ferns in Their Haunts," without giving credit for them. 

 Even when giving credit the author is not always fortunate, as 

 when he ascribes to Miss Pratt certain lines.that are Campbell's. 

 The book is written from the standpoint of the author's ex- 

 periences in the vicinity of Baltimore, and as such cannot always 

 be taken as representative of ferns and fern habitats in other 

 parts of our country. The book is also remarkable for the en- 

 tire absence of author citations for the generic and specific 

 names — in this being unique among American fern books. This 

 will make it difficult for beginners who use this book to look up 

 the species elsewhere. The entire subject of the authority for 

 the names is left untouched in the part that explains why scien- 

 tific names are used. There is also evident a disinclination to 

 give credit for recent work, the usual statement being that such 

 and such varieties "have been described,'' without noting where 

 and by whom. Since these descriptions were heretofore to be 

 found mostly in periodicals, the desirability of mentioning their 

 place of description is apparent. This much being said in crit- 

 icism of the book, there is yet much to praise. The illustra- 

 tions are well executed and include a fair proportion of views 

 in the habitats of the ferns, while the photographs of the sori 

 enlarged are exceptionally valuable. Anything like them have 

 never before been published. The analytical key based on the 

 stipes has been well and carefully worked out. It forms a very 

 instructive chapter, though such a key will rarely be consulted 

 by the beginner, because the usual keys are easier. The book 



*Ferns. By Campbell E. W aters. New York. Henry Holt & Co. 

 1903. 8 vo. 360 pp. $2.75 net. 



