NOTES, 



— The index to the present volume will be issued with the 

 number for January next. 



— On page 60 of this volume, seventh line from the bottom, 

 the word Athrium should be Athyrium. 



— Owing to a pressure of other matter the article "Helps for 

 the Beginner' was crowded out of this issue. The series will 

 be resumed in the next issue. 



— The editor expects to spend the Autumn and early Winter 

 in New Orleans. Correspondents who do not receive replies to 

 their communications as promptly as usual will understand why 

 they are delayed. 



— It is a curious fact that several species of ferns secrete 

 nectar, our common bracken among the number. In a recent 

 issue of Science Prof. F. E. Lloyd gives an account of the 

 bracken's nectaries, and in the American Botanist for August a 

 summary of the same article is given. 



—Volume V, Number 2 of the "Natural History Bulletin of the 

 University of Iowa" contains a list of Iowa Pteridophyta by B. 

 Shimek, showing forty-one species to grow in the State. In the 

 introductory matter the author has some very pertinent observa- 

 tions on present-day nomenclature. In his list he follows con- 

 servative botanists, adopting Nephroditim, Poiystichum, Athy- 

 rium, etc. 



BOOK NEWS. 



A little volume entitled "First Studies in Plant Life " * by 

 Prof. Atkinson has just been issued byGinn&Co. It is intended as 

 an introduction to structural and physiogical botany and is written 

 in a style that will appeal to the beginner, although there are a 

 goodly number of technical words. These are perhaps necessary, 

 but at the same time are rather difficult for the young student to 

 grasp alone. With a teacher, to explain the hard parts, even the 

 child in the lower grades ought to have no difficulty in understand- 

 ing and becoming interested in the [wonderful processes of plant 

 life described. The author has very properly left many questions to 



* First Studies of Plant Life, by George Francis Atkinson. Boston: 

 Ginn & Co., 1901. 8vo. pp. 261. j 



