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point to the conclusion that many of what have been 

 recently called species of Botrychium, Selaginella, etc., 

 are really in the nature of elementary species. This 

 opinion has long been held by The Ferx Bulletin, and 

 nearly ten years ago, we suggested editorially that " Bot- 

 rychium dissectum " is but a form (or elementary spe- 

 cies) of the better-known Botrychium ternatum. The 

 past decade has been characterized by the inordinate 

 multiplication of species in the ferns and fern allies, but 

 this has now come to a halt for want of further material. 

 Doubtless the coming years will see a disposition to more 

 carefully study these plants in field and garden, to the 

 end that they may be given the rank to which they really 

 are entitled. That we have twenty or more good species 

 in the Selaginella apus group in America is simply pre- 

 posterous. A student who will work out their true rela- 

 tionships is desired. 



BOOK NEWS. 



Christensen's " Index Filicum " has reached its sixth 

 fascicle. Nearly four hundred pages have thus far been 

 issued. 



Since John Robinson's " Ferns in Their Homes and 

 Ours "went out of print there has been real need of a 

 new book on the culture of ferns. This G. H. Woolson 

 has attempted to fill in his little book entitled " Ferns and 

 How to Grow Them." 1 The author is well qualified for 

 the work, having cultivated ferns for many years and 

 had considerable experience in writing of them, but his 

 efforts have been sadly hampered by publishers who evi- 

 dently do not understand the making of fern-books, not- 

 withstanding their reputation in such matters. In several 

 instances three illustrations have been reproduced on one 



1 Ferns and How to Grow Them by G. A. Woolson. Xew 

 York: Doubleday. Page & Co.. 1905. 12 mo.. 150 pp. $1.00 

 net. 



