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is also of interest for the number of varieties or forms included, 

 many of which are not mentioned in the manuals, and for num- 

 erous photographs illustrating these forrns. There is also a 

 chapter on fern photography. The nomenclature is conserva- 

 tive; old and well known names having been retained in spite 

 of recently proposed substitutes. For his stand in this matter 

 the author is to be greatly commended. The book can in no 

 sense be considered a rival of others in the field. It fills a place 

 of its own and as such will be hailed by the fern loving public 

 as another aid to the proper understanding of this most beau- 

 tiful and attractive section of the vegetable kingdom. Type, 

 paper and presswork all combine to make this a handsome as 

 well as useful book. 



In the making of his "Flora of the Southeastern United 

 States"! Dr. Small has practically worked over anew all the 

 species of that region and the results of this stupendous under- 

 taking are now presented in a bulky octavo volume of nearly 

 fourteen hundred pages. Dr. Chapman's flora of the same 

 region is fairly conservative, while this one goes to the opposite 

 extreme, being noticeable for the greatly increased number of 

 species and an equal lack of what the older book is inclined to 

 consider varieties or forms. This gives students a choice of 

 books, but it is probable that a beginner will have much diffi- 

 culty in identifying his plants by the aid of the new one, be- 

 cause of the many closely related forms described as separate 

 species. The book will appeal more to advanced students 

 specializing in a few orders or genera. The nomenclature is, of 

 course, the most radical, even extending beyond the genera and 

 species to the orders, so that new names are proposed for the 

 Leguminosae, Labiatae, Scrophulariaceae and many others. Along 

 with the segregation of species there has been a similar splitting 

 of genera. To the individual familiar with the usual manuals 

 the book will appear almost like the flora of a foreign land. 

 The author, however, has been painstaking and conscientious 

 throughout the work, adhering closely to the ideals prevalent at 

 New York and a few other centers of botanical activity, and if 



tThe Flora of the Southeastern United States. By John K. Small. 

 New York. Published by the author. 1903. 8 vo. 1,375 PP- $3-6o net. 



