—7 5— 



Hobby," " When and Where to Find Ferns," and " Fertilization, 

 Development and Fructification of Ferns." The greater part of 

 the book is devoted to histories of our Eastern ferns. Following 

 the scientific description of each species is found matter of a more 

 popular nature, which will be welcomed by those who wish to 

 know the ferns as living things. One defect in the book seems 

 to be the absence of a key by which one may quickly trace a 

 specimen to its proper place. Ferns differ less from one another 

 than do flowering plants, and such differences as exist are princi- 

 pally in the shape of the leaf with no characteristics of flower or 

 fruit, in the usual sense, to help one out. The key given seems 

 inadequate, grouping as it does, eleven species under one head- 

 ing and thirteen under another, in the latter case, perhaps obliging 

 the young student to compare his plant with twelve descriptions 

 before coming to the right one. A supplementary key on scien- 

 tific lines would have been very acceptable. The illustrations, 

 however, assist materially in the identification. With a few ex- 

 ceptions, these are the best we have seen in any fern book. The 

 artists have caught not only the form of the frond, but the habit 

 and habitat as well. The book occupies a unique place in Amer- 

 ican fern literature, and will prove an attractive and efficient help 

 toward a knowledge of our native ferns. 



Six species of grass have provided Prof. Sargent with the 

 material for a pleasing little volume, which has just been issued, 

 under the title of " Corn Plants.":}: The six species treated are: 

 "Wheat, the king of cereals," "Oats, the grain of hardiness," 

 "Barley, the brewer's grain," "Rice, the corn of the East," and 

 "Maize, the corn of the West." Much thought and originality 

 are manifested in the treatment of the subject. After some ac- 

 count of the ancient festivals in honor of "corn," as these plants 

 are collectively called, we are told how they manage against 

 wind, weight, wet and drought ; how they grow, flower and pro- 

 duce seed, with such an abundance of information on all these 

 points as to cause us to have a greater interest in these plants in 

 future. The economic aspects of the corn plants are also touched 

 upon, but without the usual dry statistics ; in fact there is not a 

 dull page in the book. Thirty two illustrations, mostly by the 

 author, help to explain obscure points. 



t" Corn Plants ; their Uses and Ways of Life." by Frederick Leroy Sar- 

 gent, Boston & New York; Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1899. n-mo., 106 pp., 

 price 75 cents. 



